Russia

Russian tax police focus on laundering

Vyacheslav Soltaganov, head of Russia’s Federal Tax Police, said recently that he would like to see a financial intelligence service monitor fund flows as part of the authorities’ efforts against money laundering and tax evasion. He made his remarks during an interview with the Interfax news agency. Mr Soltaganov said that the service, which might be independent or located within the Finance Ministry or Central Bank, should employ civilian staff who would not have the right to compel people to give evidence. They would concentrate on document and data analysis. In this way their contact with business and entrepreneurs, and the corresponding scope for corruption, would be limited. He said that the creation of the service should, in his opinion, be matched by a statute that would make it mandatory to disclose transactions above US$5,000 or US$10,000. Suspicious transactions would be investigated by the police. He said that he was categorically opposed to establishing the service within the Federal Tax Police on the ground that it would lead to accusations of a return to a police state.