(Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors have launched a money-laundering investigation into a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating whether billionaire Russian gas trader and Putin associate Gennady Timchenko transferred funds related to allegedly corrupt deals in Russia through the U.S. financial system. The Justice Department is helping the investigation, it said.
The Attorney Office and the Justice Department could not be reached for comment outside regular U.S. working hours.
The prosecutors are investigating transactions in which Gunvor Group, a commodities firm founded by Timchenko, bought oil from Russia’s Rosneft and sold it to third parties, the newspaper reported. (http://on.wsj.com/1EjPUxe)
Gunvor told Reuters it had never been an intermediary between a buyer and a seller, “and certainly not for Rosneft.
That is factually incorrect. We have never worked this way, and will never work this way.”
Gunvor also said it had not been notified of any investigation involving the company.
“The company is caught in political crossfire. We cannot comment on any investigation into Mr. Timchenko,” it said.
