Former Putin-appointed governor on trial for breaching UK sanctions

A antheral who President Vladimir Putin appointed arsenic the Governor of Sevastopol aft Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia has gone connected proceedings accused of breaching UK fiscal sanctions against him.

Dmitrii Ovsiannikov is accused of receiving much than £75,000 from his woman Ekaterina Ovsiannikova and a caller Mercedes Benz SUV from his member Alexei Owsjanikow.

Between them, the 3 defendants look 10 charges of breaching the sanctions, and 2 charges of wealth laundering. They contradict each the charges.

Dmitrii held a elder presumption successful Crimea for 3 years and the tribunal heard helium was besides Russia's Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade.

Two years aft Russia annexed Crimea successful 2014, President Vladimir Putin appointed Dmitrii Ovsiannikov arsenic acting politician of the "strategically significant" metropolis of Sevastopol successful Crimea, the assemblage were told.

In 2017, elections were held determination for the presumption of politician and Mr Ovsiannikov won.

Paul Jarvis, for the prosecution, said helium "was an important governmental fig wrong the Russian Federation" though Dmitrii Ovsiannikov aboriginal resigned from the presumption successful July 2019.

As a effect of his elder occupation successful illegally-annexed Crimea, the EU imposed fiscal sanctions connected Mr Ovsiannikov saying that among different things helium had "called for Sevastopol to go the confederate superior of the Russian Federation."

When the UK near the EU, the UK imposed fiscal sanctions connected him too. He aboriginal challenged the EU sanctions and had them lifted, but the UK sanctions inactive apply.

They are called the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The regulations marque it a transgression offence to effort to get circular the sanctions.

The proceedings is the archetypal transgression lawsuit involving the breach of the Russia Regulations.

In August 2022, Dmitrii Ovsiannikov travelled to Turkey from Russia and applied for a British passport.

Despite the information that the UK sanctions inactive applied, the assemblage heard that helium was granted a passport successful January 2023, which helium was entitled to due to the fact that his begetter was calved successful the UK.

Mr Jarvis said: "The begetter of Dmitrii and Alexei had been calved successful Bradford, United Kingdom, successful 1950. Their parent was Russian. Dmitrii and Alexei clasp British passports by virtuousness of their begetter being a British citizen."

Dmitrii Ovsiannikov past arrived successful Britain connected 1 February 2023, moving into his brother's location successful Clapham, wherever his woman and 2 younger children were already surviving and attending backstage school.

On 6 February, Dmitrii Ovsiannikov applied for a Halifax slope account, saying connected the signifier that helium was single, but besides saying that helium was surviving successful Clapham with his wife.

Over the adjacent 2 and a fractional weeks Ekaterina Ovsiannikova transferred £76,000 into her husband's relationship allowing him to enactment down a deposit connected a Mercedes Benz GLC 300 SUV.

However, the slope aboriginal realised helium was connected the UK sanctions database and froze the account.

After this, helium went backmost to the dealership and recovered his deposit. His member Alexei Owsjanikow bought the car instead, paying much than £54,000 the prosecution said.

The prosecution accidental that erstwhile Mr Ovsiannikov's woman sent him the £76,000 and his member bought the car they were successful breach of the Russia Regulations.

Mr Jarvis told the assemblage that "they support that they either did not cognize that Dmitrii was a designated idiosyncratic oregon they did not realise that arsenic a designated idiosyncratic helium was not permitted to person that benignant of help".

He besides added that Dmitrii Ovsiannikov indispensable person known helium was taxable to UK sanctions, due to the fact that connected 7 February 2023 helium was applying for them to beryllium lifted and had included his unsocial ID fig and radical ID fig from his sanctions listing connected the form.

Speaking to the jury, Mr Jarvis said that this showed that Mr Ovsiannikov was alert of the sanctions "and helium indispensable person made his nearest and dearest alert of that too".

In January 2024 each 3 defendants were arrested and interviewed by police.

Four months later, Alexei Owsjanikow paid much than £40,000 successful schoolhouse fees for his brother's 2 youngest children who were astatine the Royal Russell School successful Croydon - besides a breach of the sanctions.

Paul Jarvis told the assemblage that successful a constabulary interrogation Alexei accepted that helium had paid the schoolhouse fees, but helium maintained that the payments did not magnitude to a breach of the Russian Regulations due to the fact that helium believed that Ekaterina was solely liable for those fees and not Dmitrii.

The proceedings is expected to proceed astatine Southwark Crown Court for 3 weeks.