Rusal denies involvement in possible oil purchases from Venezuela and that Deripaska controls co

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) - Rusal has not participated in any purchases of oil from Venezuela, the Russian aluminum giant said on Friday, commenting on a U.S. Justice Department indictment related to transactions with Venezuelan oil.

"To Rusal's knowledge, it was not involved in any purchases of oil from Venezuela alleged in the indictment," the company said in a statement.

Rusal is not named in the Justice Department indictment, but it refers to a "Russian aluminum company" that was under U.S. sanctions from April 6, 2018 until January 27, 2019. Rusal was under sanctions during this period that were then lifted under a deal with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that required Rusal founder Oleg Deripaska to give up control of the company. Deripaska remained under sanctions.

Rusal also "rejects the assertion in the DOJ's press release that the 'Russian aluminum company' referred to therein is 'controlled by a sanctioned oligarch,'" the company said.

"This assertion is false. Rusal is not controlled by any sanctioned person or entity," the company said.

The Justice Department announced earlier that it is charging five Russians and two Venezuelans with money laundering, illegally obtaining U.S. military technology and what the U.S. deems to be illegal operations with Venezuelan oil.

The defendants allegedly obtained military technology from U.S. companies, smuggled millions of barrels of oil and laundered tens of millions of dollars, the Justice Department said.