The UK has ordered property freezes and travel bans on 22 people under a new global anti-corruption regime. Foreign Minister Dominic Robb said the aim was to prevent these individuals from embezzling their money through the British financial system or into the country, who are embroiled in serious corruption cases.
“Corruption has an erosive effect because it delays growth, consumes the wealth of poor countries and keeps people in poverty,” he said. Sanctions target more corrupt individuals and allies than countries, and follow similar sanctions announced by the United States.
The list released by the British government today includes people from Russia, South Africa, South Sudan and Latin America. Among them are several Russian citizens who embezzled $ 230 million ($ 190 million) in Russian public money through a fraudulent tax refund scheme invented by Sergei Magnitsky.
Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta and associate Salim Esa were at the source of a corruption case in South Africa and Sudanese businessman Ashraf Seed Ahmed Hussein Ali, also known as Al Cardinal, was involved in the acquisition of a significant amount of assets in South Sudan.
This new global regime of anti-corruption sanctions joins another embargo on those responsible for human rights abuses, established in July last year, which has already imposed sanctions on at least 78 individuals and organizations.
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