YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN. AP.
London-based law firm Discreet Law took on Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin as a client in 2021 after he passed money laundering checks, reports the Financial Times.
Prigozhin is the founder of the Wagner mercenary group and passed the checks despite being sanctioned by the U.S., EU, and U.K. at the time.
Prigozhin sought Discreet Law's assistance in suing British journalist Eliot Higgins for suggesting that the Russian warlord was linked to the Wagner mercenary group.
- The law firm took on Prigozhin as a client after he passed their money laundering checks using a utility bill belonging to his 81-year-old mother.
- At the time, Prigozhin was under international sanctions related to his mercenary activities. His mother was sanctioned by the EU last year.
- Discreet law submitted a High Court claim stating that Prigozhin had suffered emotional distress due to Higgins' alleged libel.
- The firm applied to drop Prigozhin as a client after Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zoom Out:
- Mercenary groups under Prigozhin's control have generated about $250M since 2018 despite being subjected to Western sanctions
- Prigozhin's mercenary outfits operate in Sudan and Syria, among other countries, and continue to play a key role in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
