US Justice Dept. Needs More Authorities To Send Seized Russian Assets To Ukraine - Monaco

The US Justice Department would like to expand the existing authorities allowing it to transfer to Ukraine assets seized from Russia, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2023) The US Justice Department would like to expand the existing authorities allowing it to transfer to Ukraine assets seized from Russia, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

"We are using the authorities that the Congress has provided us when we are able to seize and forfeit the assets, we get from the oligarchs to transfer them to the benefit of Ukraine. We frankly would like to be able to expand those authorities," Monaco told the US Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Justice Department has at present only a limited ability to transfer assets related to sanctions evasion, Monaco said.

"So, for instance, the millions we are seizing and forfeiting because of export control violations. We cannot transfer those proceeds to Ukraine," Monaco said.

The US government has accountability mechanisms in place and the State Department's role is to ensure that the assets are going to the appropriate places in Ukraine, Monaco added.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland recently said that the Justice Department is exercising a new authority granted by Congress to use seized Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine.