Interfax: Less than 0.1% of Russian public servants have foreign assets, mainly in CIS – Kremlin

MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) – Some 1,600 Russian officials have property and bank accounts abroad, mainly real estate in CIS countries.

“It has been established that presently slightly over 1,600 municipal and government officials have foreign assets. Given all the statistical errors this is less than 0.1% of all pubic servants,” head of the Kremlin administration Sergei Ivanov told the press after a session of the presidential council for resisting corruption.

He said that out of that number 996 own real estate aboard which is not prohibited by law. “Out of the 996 cases of owning foreign real estate 600 are located in former Soviet republics. The lion’s share of foreign real estate is located in CIS countries. Other real estate is located in countries with good climates, i.e. with resort services,” Ivanov said.

He said he meant Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, Finland and Egypt.

Speaking of bank accounts and securities kept by Russian officials abroad Ivanov said that relevant information was provided by 600 officials. “Only 80 officials use foreign financial tools. This is banned by decrees. The measure is tough but generally recognized as fair,” he said.

He said there were cases when officials decided to resign in order to keep the right to use foreign bank accounts. “For instance, that was done by Deputy Minister of Communications Sverdlov who preferred vacating his post to avoid commitments of known nature,” Ivanov added.