Frankfurt (Reuters): German prosecutors in Frankfurt have dropped a money laundering investigation against Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov, his lawyers said on Monday.
“We have always insisted on the innocence of our client,” Wannemacher & Partner lawyers Uwe Lehmbruck and Dr. Markus Gotzens said in a statement, calling it an important step towards protecting the reputation of Usmanov, 71.
The Frankfurt Prosecutor’s Office referred questions about the investigation to federal prosecutors, who were not immediately available to comment.
Usmanov, who according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index has a total net worth of $14.4 billion, made his fortune in mining, industry, telecoms and media.
His lawyers said that after more than two and a half years, the investigation had failed to prove the main accusations against him, including that of money laundering.
