Usmanov’s press service linked his persecution in Germany with politics

The persecution of the founder of the USM holding, Alisher Usmanov, by German law enforcement officers is political in nature, and searches in the office of the Bayern football club are part of a series of unjustified measures, declared “RIA Novosti” in the press service of a businessman.

Investigators of the German criminal police conducted searches at the offices of FC Bayern and Allianz Arena in the case against Usmanov, the Bild newspaper reported earlier. The Russian businessman is suspected of tax evasion and money laundering.

According to the publication, the money laundering case against Usmanov involves an amount of more than 500 million euros, which the businessman allegedly owed to the German tax authorities for the period from 2017 to 2022. Usmanov, as the article says, is familiar with the honorary president of Bayern Uli Hoeness, and the businessman has previously received VIP tickets for the club’s matches in the Champions League more than once.

The press service of Usmanov told the agency that the persecution of Usmanov is connected with politics.

“The searches of Bayern Munich’s office and the Allianz Arena a few days before the decisive match for the German title suggest that representatives of the Frankfurt prosecutor’s office are fans of Borussia Dortmund, but not Bayern. And the alleged reasoning of the investigators, according to which they apparently believe that they can prove money laundering by Alisher Usmanov, since he attended the matches of FC Bayern, looks almost comical, ”the press service said.

They emphasized that Usmanov had never violated the laws of Germany, and the origin of his funds was “absolutely transparent.”

After the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the businessman fell under the sanctions of the United States, Great Britain and the European Union. The USM holding founded by him called the EU sanctions against the businessman unreasonable. In July 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that four Russian businessmen, including Usmanov, are trying to challenge the imposition of sanctions against them by the European Union through the courts.