The UK on Thursday imposed sanctions on eight people – nationals of various countries – accused by the authorities of large-scale international corruption, including former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs and his daughter Līga.
Lembergs is or has been involved in serious corruption, according to a statement from the British government. Namely, Lembergs has been responsible for or has been involved in serious corruption in the form of bribery and embezzlement as Mayor of Ventspils, the statement said.
Lembergs’ daughter Līga has facilitated or supported serious corruption or has benefited financially or in any other way from corruption. Namely, Lemberga has been involved in the bribery and embezzlement of her father, Aivars Lembergs, the government said in a statement.
The sanctions imposed on them include an asset freeze and a travel ban.
Sanctions have also been imposed on Ukrainian businessman Dmitry Firtash and his wife Lada Firtash, as well as on Angolan-Russian billionaire Isabel Dos Santos.
The British Foreign Office called Firtash, Lemberg and Santos “three notorious kleptocrats” and accused them of “stealing the wealth of their countries for personal gain”.
The ministry said that Santos had “systematically abused her positions in state-owned companies to embezzle at least 350 million sterling pounds, depriving Angola of resources and funding for much-needed development”.
Firtash had “taken hundreds of millions of pounds out of Ukraine through corruption and control of gas distribution, and hidden tens of millions of pounds of ill-gotten gains in the UK property market alone”, the ministry said in a statement.
Denis Gorbunenko, a UK-based broker of various transactions, will also be sanctioned.
“These unscrupulous individuals are selfishly depriving their fellow citizens of much-needed funding for education, healthcare and infrastructure – for their own enrichment,” said Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“When I became Foreign Minister, I pledged to fight kleptocrats and the dirty money that gives them power. Things are changing. The golden age of money laundering is over,” he added.
The sanctions are imposed under the 2021 anti-corruption sanctions legislation introduced by the previous Conservative-led government.
The anti-corruption sanctions were designed to prevent the UK from becoming a place for illicit funds and money laundering.