Cellist Sergei Roldugin says he uses the cash to support Russian music and cultural projects
- Russian cellist says his fortune is used for Russian cultural projects
- Alleged to have 2bn USD in offshore accounts
- Panama Papers an “attempt to destabilise Russia” – Putin
What is happening?
ADVERTISEMENTA friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, implicated in the Panama Papers outcry, has claimed in an interview that he invests all his money in music and young Russian cultural talent.
Cellist Sergei Roldugin says he wants to advance cultural projects in Russia.
It comes after his name appeared on the “Panama Papers” leak last week.
Roldugin says he is an honest man. “People around the world try not to declare what they have bought and imported. They do it for security reasons. I should not have declared things either. Doing so has cost me a lot of money.”
What are the Panama Papers?
- 11.5 million confidential records from a law firm in Panama
- Details of secretive financial accounts in low-tax havens used to conceal wealth
- Rich, famous and world leaders implicated
- Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson resigned after his name appeared on the list
What has the Russian President said?
Putin dismisses #PanamaPapers and says #Roldugin's money was used to buy instruments. $2bn gets you lot of cellos.. https://t.co/kTYCehZVYP
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) April 7, 2016
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin denied having any links to offshore accounts.
His name does not feature in any of the leaked documents.
The documents reportedly allege that Putin’s associates have used a wide variety of offshore structures to move vast sums of money around the world.
Putin described the Panama Papers scandal as part of a US-led plot to weaken Russia.
Putin also defended Roldugin, saying his lifelong friend has done “nothing wrong”.
What they are saying
Russian cellist (& Putin close friend) Sergei Roldugin says funds revealed in #PanamaPapers came from donations https://t.co/dm4oi7cJwR LOL
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) April 10, 2016
Putin dismisses #PanamaPapers and says #Roldugin's money was used to buy instruments. $2bn gets you lot of cellos.. https://t.co/kTYCehZVYP
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) April 7, 2016