Dirty Russian money still flowing to London: UK lawmakers

London, May 22: British lawmakers have said ‘dirty’ Russian money is making its way to London as “business continues as usual for wealthy Russians who hide and launder corrupt assets through London”. After the poisoning of a former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, on English soil, the British government expelled 23 Russian diplomats. Its foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, compared the upcoming World Cup tournament in Russia to the Nazi Olympics in 1936. Yet, despite the heated declarations, business continues as usual for wealthy Russians who hide and launder corrupt assets through London, a parliamentary committee said on Monday in a scathing assessment that warned of “inaction or lethargy” over dirty money from Moscow, The New York Times reported. The report, from the influential House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said there was no excuse for Britain “to turn a blind eye” while associates and allies of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, “use money laundered through London to corrupt our friends, weaken our alliances and erode faith in our institutions”. (IANS)