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The leader of a new federal task force charged with prosecuting corrupt Russian oligarchs expects long legal battles ahead with Vladimir Putin’s high-powered pals.
“We should anticipate that extremely well-heeled litigants will take things to court,” veteran federal prosecutor Andrew Adams said this week. “We will be engaged in litigation that will take a while.”
Adams leads the KleptoCapture task force created in March by the Department of Justice to squeeze Russian officials in response to their nation’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
“Oligarchs be warned: we will use every tool to freeze and seize your criminal proceeds,” the DOJ said when announcing the task force, adding that the group includes experts in sanctions and export control enforcement, anti-corruption, asset forfeiture, anti-money laundering, tax enforcement, national security investigations and foreign evidence collection.
Adams said evidence exists that corrupt Russian oligarchs continue to seek safe havens for their assets, such as yachts, airplanes and “other mobile property.” Reports emerged in recent days that Russian oligarchs are attempting to unload major works of art by some of the most famous painters in history in European galleries.
The number of potential refuges for Russian wealth is rapidly dwindling, Adams indicated.
“We get cooperation even from jurisdictions that I think these networks expect will be safe havens,” he said, adding that international cooperation to make Russian leaders pay for the Ukraine invasion “is at an all-time high.”
With Post wires
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