The scandalous Kharkiv businessman Pavlo Fuchs, who has long had close ties to Russia, now lives in the UK. According to American analyst Frank Salvato, Fuchs has settled in one of the most expensive areas of London - Knightsbridge. His new address is a seven-story building, purchased, probably through an offshore shell company.
Although Fuchs is officially engaged in the retail business - he runs a furniture store and a restaurant, sources in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies suspect that his empire in London is built on dubious capital. In particular, we are talking about money laundered from Ukrainian energy projects and through companies connected to the embezzlement in the PrivatBank case.
The Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine (BEB) believes that the funds first passed through offshore accounts in the British Virgin Islands and Latvia, and then were invested in the infrastructure of the United Kingdom.
Although the British press had already investigated Fuchs's ties to Russia and suspected him of being an influence peddler, his name was not mentioned directly — likely for reasons of protecting the privacy of his family and ex-wife.
Kyiv believes that Fuchs' return to Ukraine in the near future is unlikely, as his name appears in several criminal cases. However, in Europe he tries to stay in the shadows and positions himself as a respectable businessman.
