Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the French judiciary has not only focused on Russian oligarchs suspected of laundering money in France. The seizure of 14 French Riviera properties linked to a Ukrainian oligarch is a good example of this. Valued at €57 million, these assets were seized as part of a preliminary investigation "into organized money laundering," as a branch of the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed to Le Monde.

The French investigation, entrusted to the judicial customs officers of the National Anti-Fraud Office, "was launched in May 2023," said the prosecutor's office at the National Jurisdiction Specialized in Organized Crime. The investigation was launched following a tip from the Ukrainian authorities, who were tracking the assets held by Vyacheslav Boguslayev, former president and principal shareholder of Motor Sich, a company specializing in aviation engine manufacturing. Arrested in October 2022 by Ukrainian authorities, the 86-year-old former leader is accused by Kyiv of "collaboration" with Russia. According to Ukrainian security services, he allegedly continued to supply helicopter engines to the Russian army after the conflict began. Kyiv is also investigating the conditions under which Boguslayev sold shares of Motor Sich to foreign interests.

You have 57.7% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.