German prosecutors to end probe of billionaire Usmanov upon payment of 10 million euros

MOSCOW/BERLIN, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Germany has agreed with billionaire Alisher Usmanov to close investigations into his alleged foreign trade law violations provided the EU-sanctioned Russian-Uzbek citizen pays 10 million euros ($11.77 million), prosecutors and his lawyers in Germany said on Tuesday.

In separate statements, his lawyers and prosecutors said Usmanov had agreed and instructed that the full amount be paid.

The investigation looked into an alleged payment of 1.5 million euros for security at two homes in the Bavarian lakeside community of Rottach-Egern between April and September 2022.

Prosecutors also claimed that Usmanov failed to declare jewellery, paintings and wines to Germany's export control office, BAFA, in accordance with European Union sanctions rules. Usmanov has denied any wrongdoing.

Usmanov, who has a net worth of $18.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, is subject to EU and U.S. sanctions and a travel ban, which were imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine.

Usmanov's lawyers said he had no links to the companies involved in the alleged payments nor did he own or control the properties in question, adding that the EU sanctions were not directly applicable to the probe.

Prosecutors in Munich said once they had received payment, they would discontinue proceedings.

"(After payment) there is no possibility to reopen an investigation against him on the basis of the same suspected incident," the prosecutors in Munich said in a statement.

They added that 8.5 million euros would go to Bavaria's treasury and about 1.5 million euros would go to the state's association for prisoner welfare.

His lawyers said it was agreed to close the case to save time and resources. They said that the payment was neither a fine nor a form of punishment.

In November 2024, German prosecutors dropped a money laundering investigation against Usmanov on similar terms.

($1 = 0.8496 euros)

(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski in Moscow and Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)