- Sep 15, 2010 9:08 PM GMT+0800

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-15/raiffeisen-probe-by-austrian-regulators-found-no-money-laundering-evidence.html

A probe of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Oesterreich AG by Austrian financial regulators found no evidence the lender was involved in money laundering in connection with Hermitage Capital Management.

The investigation of the bank, which is now facing another investigation by prosecutors, “produced no evidence whatsoever that RZB did not abide by the necessary measures of diligence to prevent money laundering,” Klaus Grubelnik, a spokesman for the Financial Markets Authority, said in an interview today. The agency carried out a probe about six months ago after the Austrian prosecutor requested it, Grubelnik said.

Hermitage has accused RZB of allowing Russia’s Universal Savings Bank, which was liquidated in June 2008, to launder money via accounts RZB held, according to a complaint to the Vienna prosecutor dated Dec. 10 and provided by Hermitage.

The prosecutor, Michaela Hoeller, on June 28 ordered a second, criminal investigation of RZB for money laundering, a separate document also provided by Hermitage said. Hoeller asked Austrian police to find out why RZB didn’t file “any notifications on suspected money laundering and did not carry out and any investigations in relation to the source of origin of the large amounts of money,” Hoeller wrote in the letter to the Vienna police.

She set a four-month time limit for the investigation, according to the document. RZB has not been charged, Hoeller wrote in the document. RZB denies any wrongdoing.

Internal Investigations

“Based on extensive internal investigations, no evidence for fraudulent tax refunds transactions exists,” the Vienna- based bank said in an e-mailed statement. “RZB has a very sophisticated risk rating and transaction monitoring system in place to immediately detect suspicious transactions.”

Russia last year added William Browder, head of London- based Hermitage, to its international wanted list, saying he and Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison last year, participated in tax evasion, depriving the government of more than 500 million rubles ($16.2 million).

Hermitage, once the largest foreign owner of Russian stocks, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, calling the charges retribution for accusing Interior Ministry officials of stealing more than $230 million in budget money.

Browder didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.