How to steal a Trillion

[Mike Sales]

This series, on Radio 4 now, exp-lains why London is one of the money laundering capitals of the world.
Why oligarchs, kleptocrats and dictators invest here.
It is not "Britain hating" to want to improve our laws so we are not a disgrace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0017t8k

[simonineaston]

There is a fairly reasonable argument that the whole Brexit thing centred around the plans by the EU to make wide-ranging financial reforms which would have made it difficult for London to remain so active in profiting from dodgy money. Financiers who stood to lose made up a whole host of lies that would appeal to the populist vote. A triumph of propaganda.

[pwa]

This series, on Radio 4 now, exp-lains why London is one of the money laundering capitals of the world.
Why oligarchs, kleptocrats and dictators invest here.
It is not "Britain hating" to want to improve our laws so we are not a disgrace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0017t8k

Quite right. And, as the series points out, this happened under governments of different persuasions.

[Dingdong]

From what I've researched, there is NO place more welcoming and attractive to money launderers than the UK. Probably explains why there are so many will heeled Russians in the capitol....

[Stradageek]

You'll enjoy (if that's the right word) this succinct summary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAblAQENQhE

[Mike Sales]

You'll enjoy (if that's the right word) this succinct summary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAblAQENQhE

Yes, that is a very good summary of our shame.

[briansnail]

Let's not be to hard and beat ourselves up. At the time the hope was Russia would copy East Germany's reunification with West Germany. Russia would slowly be more democratic and embrace the market economy. The theory was good. Practically it for the benefit of Putin/FSB and state capitalism.

USA and UK benefitted from Russian cash inflow. Good. There was probably a trickledown effect which was good for the NHS and Education. Its like defense if UK does not grab the contracts someone else will. So it might as well be the UK. Now other countries are vying for Russian custom and cash.
The real tragedy is Russia interfered to a small extent with the Brexit vote and US elections. Successfully.
Now they attack a innocent country and cause so much suffering.
*********************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

[axel_knutt]

It is not "Britain hating" to want to improve our laws so we are not a disgrace.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0017t8k

Quite right. And, as the series points out, this happened under governments of different persuasions.

I think the problem may be that we've already made ourselves dependent on it.

[pwa]

It is not "Britain hating" to want to improve our laws so we are not a disgrace.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0017t8k

Quite right. And, as the series points out, this happened under governments of different persuasions.

I think the problem may be that we've already made ourselves dependent on it.

As presented in that series, the mechanisms that the Russian criminals exploited were not created with them in mind. They were put together by banking organisations to allow money to flow from one jurisdiction to another without tiresome regulations getting in the way. And surprise, surprise, criminals found that useful. The City also found it very profitable. The City is the tail that wags the dog that is the UK.

[Mike Sales]

Let's not be to hard and beat ourselves up. At the time the hope was Russia would copy East Germany's reunification with West Germany. Russia would slowly be more democratic and embrace the market economy. The theory was good. Practically it for the benefit of Putin/FSB and state capitalism.

USA and UK benefitted from Russian cash inflow. Good. There was probably a trickledown effect which was good for the NHS and Education. Its like defense if UK does not grab the contracts someone else will. So it might as well be the UK. Now other countries are vying for Russian custom and cash.
The real tragedy is Russia interfered to a small extent with the Brexit vote and US elections. Successfully.
Now they attack a innocent country and cause so much suffering.

It is not only Russion kleptocrats wh use our money laundering facilities.

Here is the estimable Nick Cohen on the subject.

The law, PR, City, estate agency and banking know that easy riches come from serving the large part of the world where it pays to forget Balzac’s warning that the secret of a great fortune no one can explain is invariably an undetected crime. For want of an agreed name I propose “Corruptistan” to cover Russia and the ex-Soviet states, the kleptocracies of Africa and the Middle East and probably soon China as the communist elite learns how to expatriate its wealth.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ly-british