The U.K. imposed sanctions on Thursday against three “infamous kleptocrats and their associates,” as part of what the government said was a new push to fight corruption at home and around the world.
New sanctions were applied to Isabel Dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s former president who held senior roles in state companies and is accused of embezzling at least $443 million.
Dmitry Firtash, “an infamous oligarch” from Ukraine was also sanctioned for allegedly siphoning off hundreds of millions of pounds via corruption. He invested some of the funds in British real estate, according to a statement by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Also sanctioned was Aivars Lembergs, one of Latvia’s richest people who was convicted in his home country in 2021 on charges including “extorting bribes, forgery of documents, money laundering.”
The Foreign Secretary said the sanctions were part of a new campaign to “tackle the devastating impacts of corruption and illicit finance, both at home and overseas.”
The renewed effort will involve closer cooperation between the Foreign Secretary and his government counterparts, including the Home Secretary and the Chancellor, who heads the Treasury.
The Foreign Secretary said the U.K. will take a wider approach to sanctions, “targeting both the perpetrators of serious corruption and their enablers.”
Along with Dos Santos, the U.K. sanctioned Paula Oliveira, “her friend and business partner” who helped establish shell companies in Dubai that were used to move millions of dollars. Sanctions were also applied to Sarju Raikundalia, the former CFO of Sonangol, Angola’s state owned oil company.
Lada Firtash, who holds U.K. assets on behalf of her husband, now faces sanctions. So does Denis Gorbunenko, “a UK-based financial ‘fixer’ who enabled and facilitated Firtash’s corruption.”
The U.K. also imposed sanctions on Lembergs’ daughter, Liga, who holds assets on his behalf.
The Foreign Secretary said the sanctioned individuals are subject to asset freezes, which bars British people or companies from doing businesses with them. They also face travel bans, meaning they cannot enter or remain in the U.K.
