Kleptocracy Daily: March 21, 2017

New from KI: Natalie Duffy examines how the adoption of an open, non-proprietary identifier system would help improve federal procurement transparency.

News

A major new investigative report revealed how $20 billion was laundered out of Russia and found its way to more than 5,000 companies with accounts in 732 banks in 96 countries. (OCCRP)

• The three main Russians behind the superstructure of banks, courts, and businesses (real and fake) are detailed here.
• Brian Whitmore of RFE/RL discusses the scheme and its national security implications here.
• The EU Observer breaks down how much of the money ended up in which European Union member states here.
• The UK city minister said here it would pursue anyone abusing its financial system, promising that regulators would look into allegations made in media reports that London’s banks were used in a global money laundering scheme.

Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chief, faces new allegations in Ukraine after a $750,000 invoice of his to a Belize company matches an entry on Yanukovych’s ‘black ledger’. (NYT)

It’s official: the FBI is investigating Trump’s links to Russia. (The Atlantic)

Britain is struggling to stop vast amounts of potentially criminal money entering the country because investigators are being hampered by the Russian authorities. (Guardian)

The head of a construction company that is part of Russia’s Federal Security Service was detained for embezzlement in a construction project on Putin’s residence. (Meduza)

A Putin ally is looking to take over the Russian aircraft industry. (Moscow Times)