In France, Senator Suleiman Kerimov was charged, the prosecutor of Nice, Jean-Michel Pretre, told RIA News. Russians are accused of complicity in tax evasion “with aggravating circumstances”. Other details are not given yet.
Pretre added that the senator “is placed under judicial control, which implies, in particular, a deposit of 20 million euros.”
Kerimov himself is in Moscow, said his assistant. The defense called the prosecution illegal and unreasonable and plans to appeal it.
Kerimov was already under investigation in France since November 2017. He was charged with money laundering and tax evasion by buying villas on the Cote d’Azur at a lower price and on nominees.
Later he was released from custody on bail of five million euros, banning from leaving the territory of the Alpes Maritimes Department. In early December, the pledge was raised to 40 million euros.
In the summer of 2018, all the charges against the senator in France were dropped.