Russian MP Identifies Bulgarian Accuser

Russian State Duma member from the A Just Russia party Gennady Gudkov. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Gennady Gudkov, Member of the Russian Parliament, Duma, from the A Just Russia party, revealed the name of the Bulgarian citizen accusing him of money laundering.

According to Gudkov, cited by the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, his accuser is Ivaylo Zartov, currently serving a jail sentence.

The MP claims he was introduced to Zartov many years ago by a senior Russian diplomat. Gudkov then recommended the Bulgarian to some of his partners only to find out that the latter had robbed the company.

The Russian politician also explains that the Bulgarian man had committed another robbery in the Czech Republic, stressing he had been accused by someone who is a "two-times convict."

It was reported on Saturday that some unidentified Bulgarian citizen has requested the Investigative Committee of Russia to check alleged murky investments of Gudkov.

The Bulgarian has alerted the Committee, Russia's superior organ of prosecution, on activities by Gudkov performed outside of Russia, according to Russian agency Interfax.

The agency also wrote that an official representative of the Investigative Committee has confirmed that such a signal has been formally received by the prosecution.

The Bulgarian citizen claimed that Gudkov has made a series of investments in foreign companies via a bank in Cyprus and offshore companies, allegedly with money laundering purposes.

The Russian MP labeled the accusations "the usual dirty lie," adding they were probably made to eliminate him politically.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has stated it intends to consider the signal according to due procedures and within the legally mandated time framework.

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