Most of the properties (villas, estates, apartments) are on the Côte d'Azur, in the Rhône-Alpes region, in Paris but also in the South-West.

The National Financial Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into these assets acquired in France by Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin, following a complaint filed at the end of May by the NGO Transparency International France (TIF).

This investigation was opened on July 1 for "organized money laundering, corruption offences, embezzlement of public funds and aggravated tax evasion", the PNF told AFP, confirming information from the

Parisian

.

The investigations were entrusted to the Central Office for the Suppression of Serious Financial Crime (OCRGDF).

Whitening

The opening of this investigation comes after the complaint filed at the end of May in Paris by the anti-corruption NGO, in particular for acts of "laundering" targeting possible ill-gotten gains in France by "businessmen and senior officials close to Vladimir Cheese fries ".

The complaint against X of the NGO aimed, in addition to money laundering, the non-justification of resources, Transparency thus explaining "to denounce the system of capture of the Russian State and national wealth by" relatives of Vladimir Putin.

According to the NGO, which did not give the names of the people targeted to "avoid reprisals", the system developed "extends (has) its ramifications as far as France, in the real estate sector in particular, due to a lack of vigilance of intermediaries”.

"The ambition of the sanctions measures against Russia and the first announcements of freezing come up against the difficulties of identifying the assets of the people sanctioned", noted Transparency International.

"In France, as elsewhere, the pursuit of the assets of the oligarchs and relatives of the Russian regime is stalling", added the NGO, insisting on "intermediaries, nominees, front companies or trusts in tax or judicial havens ".

Luxurious properties

Thanks to various sources, "we were able to draw up an inventory of the real estate in France of several oligarchs and those close to the Russian regime, identify the chains of properties set up for this purpose, and bring together a body of evidence on the illicit origin resources that made it possible to acquire this heritage", said Patrick Lefas, president of TIF.

“The judicial chapter of the “BMA” (ill-gotten gains, editor’s note) of the Russian oligarchs will open (…) The freezing measures (of assets) intervened” following the war in Ukraine “will in certain cases be a factor acceleration of the investigation and will allow extensive seizure measures and in the event of a criminal conviction, confiscations", argued Me William Bourdon, lawyer for TIF.

23.7 billion euros in Russian assets tied up

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the international community has compiled a list of Russian oligarchs whose assets have been frozen.

At the end of April, France had immobilized 23.7 billion euros of Russian assets on its territory, including real estate for an acquisition value of 573.6 million.

Among these assets are four freighters, four yachts for a value of more than 125.2 million euros;

six helicopters worth more than 60 million euros;

and for 7 million euros of works of art.

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