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Swiss Attorney General's Office confirms arrest of assets of former Russian minister

A criminal procedure was instituted against the former Russian Agriculture Minister and several other individuals in spring 2013 on suspicions of money laundering

Elena Skrynnik Valery Sharifulin/TASS Archive

Elena Skrynnik

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS Archive

GENEVA, October 28. /TASS/. Swiss Attorney General's Office confirms reports on the arrest of bank accounts involved in the investigation of a case of the former Russian Agriculture Minister, Yelena Skrynnik, Linda von Burg, an official spokeswoman for the Office of the Attorney General told TASS on Wednesday.

Switzerland's federal prosecution agency confirms that a criminal procedure was instituted against the former Russian Agriculture Minister and several other individuals in spring 2013 on suspicions of money laundering (Article 305bis par. 2 of the Swiss Criminal Code), she said when the correspondent asked her if the attorney's office could confirm the arrest Skrynnik's bank assets in the amount of 60 million Swiss francs, or about $61 million.

"It's in this context that the Office of the Attorney General placed the assets under arrest," Von Burg said.

Read also

Skrynnik summoned for interrogation in Rosagroleasing criminal case

After a broad investigation the attorney's office turned to Russia with a request for mutual legal assistance, which was not fulfilled yet, she indicated.

Von Burg also said this criminal case was not the only one instituted against former officials of the Russian Agriculture Ministry. The Swiss attorneys were also conducting a criminal procedure that involved a former deputy minister of agriculture and was assisting some investigations opened by the Russian authorities.

This criminal procedure was linked to suspected crimes in the Rosagroleasing agro-industrial company that inflicted damage on it, Von Burg said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Yelena Skrynnik said the media reports on the arrest of her bank accounts in Switzerland stood at variance with real facts.

"I deny this all-out lie," the said speaking live on the air of the Russian News Service radio. "I don't even have these monies."

Along with it, Skrynnik promised her lawyers would clear out why reports of this kind had been circulated by the media."

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Switzerland Crime

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