German Court Rules Raids On Russian Billionaire Usmanov's Properties Illegal - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2023) A court in Germany has ruled that raids conducted in 2022 at numerous properties of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov on suspicion of money-laundering were illegal, German media reported.

German Federal criminal police searched Usmanov's Bavarian villas, a Frankfurt apartment and a yacht in the port of Bremen and confiscated a valuable art collection.

The Frankfurt regional court found that these searches were conducted without any reasonable suspicion, Der Spiegel magazine reported, citing court documents.

The judges criticized investigators for their overreliance on a video of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny, and argued that vague suspicions about Usmanov's business practices and offshore firms he is believed to own did not amount to proof of wrongdoing.

The businessman is not likely to have legal curbs on his properties lifted soon, because he also stands accused of tax evasion and sanctions violations.

Usmanov's representative told Sputnik that his defense team welcomed the court ruling and expected German investigators to stop the widely publicized and politically motivated persecution of their client.