The Magnitsky Act, which imposes sanctions on brutal dictators and corrupt officials and businesspeople, has been adopted by 34 countries — but not South Africa, because of the government’s ‘shameful’ friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bill Browder, the US-born British financier and political activist, says he has “run into a brick wall” trying to get Pretoria to pass a Magnitsky Act. Browder launched and successfully campaigned for the passing of the first Magnitsky Act in the US in 2013 to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cronies for their human rights abuses and corruption.
“So, it’s the kind of thing you expect in a normal, rule-of-law country. And I’ve tried getting a Magnitsky Act in South Africa and I’ve run into an absolute brick wall… no one in the governing party wants to talk to me,” he said. He had visited South Africa for a while after that, but after the Magnitsky Act was passed in the US, Putin had gone after him with several arrest warrants and he had consulted several people in South Africa including members of the government.
Browder said some people asked him how Putin could possibly be making money from his war against Ukraine. He explained that Putin had started the war to deflect the anger rising in Russia against his government for diverting so much state money away from public services. But when the money trail went beyond Russian borders, it became harder to follow, because of data protection policies in most countries. However, Browder discovered Putin’s influence extended very far because of the vast amounts of money he could throw around.eteran white-collar fraud attorney — ironically named John Moscow — who was working at the time for one of New York’s oldest, most prestigious firms, BakerHostetler.