Russian corruption fighters ask U.S. to screen Yegiazarian
MOSCOW. July 4 (Interfax) - The Russian National Anticorruption Committee has sent a request to the U.S. Justice Department to check the assets of State Duma member Ashot Yegiazarian and his relatives for the lawfulness of their acquisition and placement in U.S. territory.
"We have noticed the statement of prominent business figure Alexander Lebedev in the Western and Russian media about Yegiazarian's illegal operations and possible money-laundering using foreign, including American, financial institutions," head of the committee Kirill Kabanov told Interfax.
This information must be thoroughly checked in the context of the G8 declarations on kleptocracy recovery efforts and on resisting money-laundering, because this concerns a member of the Russian parliament who has been staying in the U.S. for a long time and against whom criminal proceedings were launched, Kabanov said.
"This is especially important, as media reports say that Ashot Yegiazarian has applied to the U.S. authorities for political asylum and in his public statements actively uses anticorruption and human rights rhetoric, trying to pose as a victim of political persecution," Kabanov said.
Meanwhile, Russian law enforcers accuse Yegiazarian of fraud. The deputy's lawyers say he is currently staying in the U.S.
In November 2010, at the request of the Prosecutor General, the State Duma stripped Yegiazarian of immunity. Simultaneously, the building of the Europark shopping center in the prestigious Rublyovskoye shosse area was seized. Three sections of land owned by Yegiazarian in the same area were also seized.
Moscow's Basmanny court ordered the seizure of Yegiazarian's property - 1.5 billion rubles in amounts payable to Prechard Holdings Ltd and 100% in Dayev Plaza OJSC.
On January 31, 2011, the court issued a writ for Yegiazarian's arrest in absentia.