The United Kingdom has imposed asset freezes and travel bans against 22 individuals under the new Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime for the first time. Individuals involved in some of the world's most serious cases of corruption will no longer be able to channel their money through UK banks or enter the country, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a press statement on Monday. According to the UK foreign secretary, this new regime will allow the UK to combat serious corruption, in particular bribery and misappropriation. It will promote effective governance, robust democratic institutions, and the rule of law — demonstrating the country's power as a force for good around the world. Commenting on the new sanctions regime, Raab said: Corruption has a corrosive effect as it slows development, drains the wealth of poorer nations and keeps their people trapped in poverty. It poisons the well of democracy." According to the UK foreign secretary, the individuals, who were blacklisted in Monday's move, are involved in some of the most notorious corruption cases around the world. "Global Britain is standing up for democracy, good governance and the rule of law. We are saying to those involved in serious corruption: we will not tolerate you or your dirty money in our country, Raab added in the statement. He also said that the measures are deliberately targeted, so the UK can impose sanctions on corrupt individuals and their enablers, rather than entire nations. The measures are being taken partly in tandem with the US, which is also announcing further corruption sanctions on Monday, according to the UK foreign secretary The UK's first wave of sanctions under this new sanctions regime is targeting the following: — Those involved in the diversion of $230 million of Russian state property through a fraudulent tax refund scheme uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky — one of the largest tax frauds in recent Russian history — Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta and their associate Salim Essa, for their roles in serious corruption. They were at the heart of a long-running process of corruption in South Africa which caused significant damage to its economy — Sudanese businessman Ashraf Seed Ahmed Hussein Ali, widely known as Al Cardinal, for his involvement in the misappropriation of significant amounts of state assets in one of the poorest countries in the world. This diversion of resources in collusion with South Sudanese elites has contributed to ongoing instability and conflict — Several individuals involved in serious corruption in Latin America, including facilitating bribes to support a major drug trafficking organization and misappropriation that has led to citizens being deprived of vital resources for development The Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime builds on the success of the Global Human Rights sanctions regime established in July 2020, which has resulted in the UK imposing sanctions on 78 individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations, including from Myanmar, Belarus, China and Russia. Meanwhile, the United States has welcomed the UK move. In a press statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "The United States commends the United Kingdom on the establishment of a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime, which reinforces the U.S.-UK partnership in the fight against corruption and illicit finance." Bline said that corruption undermines the rule of law, weakens citizens' trust in their governments, hampers economic growth, and facilitates transnational crime and human rights abuses. He said that the Global Anti-Corruption-Sanctions Regime strengthens the UK's efforts to counter corruption globally and complements ongoing US initiatives, enhancing our ability to cooperate and coordinate on comparable human rights and corruption sanctions programs, such as the US Global Magnitsky sanctions program. "Together, along with other allies and partners, we will seek to promote our shared values with similar tools. Corrupt actors, and their facilitators, will not have access to our financial systems. The United States looks forward to continuing our partnership with like-minded governments and civil society alike to defend human rights, combat corruption, and promote accountability and good governance," the US secretary of state added.
