Spain seizes property of Russian Helicopters CEO Nikolai Kolesov on suspicion of money laundering

Spanish authorities have seized property belonging to Russian Helicopters CEO Nikolai Kolesov on suspicion of money laundering, according to Maria Pevchikh, head of investigations at the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), a non-profit founded by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

In a post on Telegram, Pevchikh said the seizure took place “about a month ago.” She also published an excerpt from an official document stating that a “precautionary measure” had been imposed on the property, prohibiting any transactions with it. The document says the decision was made on Sept. 11.

“The grounds are suspicion of money laundering. This means that, following our investigation, Spain has at least launched an official review — and possibly even opened a criminal case,” Pevchikh wrote.

In early June, Alexei Navalny’s associates released an investigation into Kolesov, who heads the state-owned Russian Helicopters holding and is a close associate of Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the sprawling state-owned Russian defense corporation Rostec. Chemezov is in turn a close personal friend of Vladimir Putin, as both were KGB officers stationed in Dresden, East Germany, in the 1980s. According to the ACF report, Kolesov created a vast scheme to siphon off state-owned defense assets and transfer them to front companies.

The ACF investigation also identified several properties abroad registered in the names of Kolesov’s relatives. In Spain, investigators found five villas, including one registered to his daughter, Nicole Kolesova. She was four years old at the time of the transaction.