Today in Russian Business – Jan 18, 2012

Although the practice is supposedly rare, the National Anti-Corruption Committee says there has been no let-up in bank-related raiding, despite various federal agencies attempting to combat it.  Andrei Borodin and Dmitry Akulinin, two former Bank of Moscow managers who fled the country after VTB’s takeover, have had their assets frozen due to suspicion that they illegally profited from a share sale.  Finland’s business leaders are looking forward to stronger economic relations with Russia regardless of the outcome of the March presidential elections.  Vladimir Putin alleges that anti-crisis measures have cost the authorities $95 billion, and that part of the funds have already been returned ‘with profit’.