Montenegro imposes sanctions on former Ukrainian president's son

Montenegro has updated its list of sanctions against those allegedly involved in financial crimes in Ukraine, including the son of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.

Montenegro's government has imposed a new list of sanctions on Ukrainian and Russian politicians and businessmen who are allegedly involved in the illegal transfer of funds from Ukraine, listing themselves once again with similar EU punitive measures.

The extended list, which targets those allegedly involved in embezzlement of state funds, includes ten new people and three companies believed to be close to the former Ukrainian president and Kremlin.

Under two foreign ministry decisions adopted on February 22nd and April 12th, which B The IERN has seen, among other things, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's son, Oleksandr, Russian oligarch Arky Rotenberg, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Andrey Tscheresow, businessman Serhiy Kurchenko and Mykola Yanovych Azarov, a former Ukrainian prime minister.

They are now barred from entering Montenegro and their properties or personal accounts, if they are found in the country, will be confiscated.

Oleksandr Yanukovych emerged at the centre of Montenegro's attention in January 2017 after Serbian media reported that he wanted to invest <x0m> Euro” in tourism in Montenegro. His alleged plans included building luxury hotels and neighbourhoods in Budva. Reports were never confirmed or denied by Montenegrin authorities.

The government's document, dated 12 April, noted that Oleksandr Yanukovych was under criminal investigation in Ukraine for “misusing public funds”.

BIRN contacted Montenegro's department for preventing money laundering and financing of terrorism, to ask whether he was investigating Yanukovych or whether any other person on the sanctions list now had assets in Montenegro. It did not answer until the time of the publication of the news.

The anti-money laundering office also did not respond if it had checked the potential assets of fellow Yanukovych's other associates in Montenegro.

The documents BIRN has seen say that three Moscow-based Russian companies operating in Crime, OAO VO Technopromexport, Limited Lifelessness Company Foreign Economic Association Technopromexport and ZAO Interavtomatica will not be allowed to do business in Montenegro.

In March 2014, The EU froze the assets of numerous former Ukrainian officials suspected of abuse of state property, starting with former President Viktor Yanukovych.

EU sanctions were intended to curb violence in eastern Ukraine and penalise persons involved in Russia's annexing Crime.

Although it is not yet an EU member state, Montenegro began membership negotiations in 2012 and joins Brussels' foreign policy.

It initially imposed sanctions against 18 persons, including Yanuovichin, in 2014. The decision has been changed several times since then to adapt to up-to-date EU sanctions.

Montenegro's earliest list of February 22nd included former Ukrainian justice minister Olena Lukas and businessman and former President Serhii Kluiev. After the EU lifted sanctions against them on February 20th, the new document of April 12th excluded both from the list.