08 June 2004 03:30
Russian Interior Ministry may put sanctions on British Council
MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - The Russian Interior Ministry is not ruling out the possibility of putting sanctions on
the British Council for the organization's failure to present financial reports.
The Federal economic and tax crimes service of the Russian Interior Ministry has been conducting an audit of the
British council's activities and has demanded that the Council present all necessary documents on its finances by
June 9.
"If these demands are not satisfied, Russian law allows law- enforcement and financial agencies to use certain
sanctions," Economic and Tax Crimes Service's press secretary Tatyana Mironenko told Interfax.
Mironenko said that the Service's actions were legally motivated.
"The question of using sanctions may be changed if the Council's diplomatic status is officially
confirmed," Mironenko said, "meaning that the law-enforcement agencies should be provided with documents to
confirm the official registration of the British Council in the Russian Foreign Ministry and other necessary procedures.
So far, all of the statements made about the Council's special status have not had any backing."
Earlier, head of the Economic and Tax Crimes Service, Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Veryovkin-Rakhalsky said police
officials have made several visits to the British Council's main office and 14 other offices.
"The law-enforcement agencies are trying to determine the nature of the activities of this for-profit
organization," Veryovkin-Rakhalsky said.
He said that the British Council organizes English courses for Russians in English-speaking countries, but before
entering these courses, one is required to finish courses in the Council itself. According to the Interior
Ministry's information, courses at the British Council's learning center cost $300 per student. [RU EUROPE EEU
EMRG EDU] aa aw
[Interfax] |
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