Spanish authorities have seized property linked to Nikolai Kolesov, the chief executive of state-owned Russian Helicopters, on suspicion of money laundering, according to an anti-corruption group founded by the late Alexei Navalny.
The seizure occurred “about a month ago,” according to report by The Insider, which cited a Telegram post by Maria Pevchikh, head of investigations at the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF). Pevchikh published an excerpt from an official document describing a “precautionary measure” imposed on the property prohibiting related transactions.
The document states the decision was made on Sept. 11, The Insider said. “The grounds are suspicion of money laundering,” Pevchikh wrote, adding that Spain had at least launched a formal review and possibly opened a criminal case following the ACF’s probe.
In June, Navalny’s associates released an investigation alleging that Kolesov, an ally of Rostec chief Sergei Chemezov, set up a scheme to siphon state defense assets into front companies. Chemezov, who leads Russia’s sprawling defense conglomerate, is a longtime associate of President Vladimir Putin from their KGB days in Dresden in the 1980s, the news agency said.
The ACF report also identified several properties abroad registered to Kolesov’s relatives, including five villas in Spain. One of the Spanish properties was said to be registered to his daughter, Nicole Kolesova, who was four years old at the time of the transaction.
Read more at The Insider