David Crisp, a British businessman, was caught on camera confessing to illegally selling luxury perfume in Russia, but he is not facing criminal charges, as reported by the BBC. Crisp admitted to disregarding government sanctions by selling £1,000-per-bottle „Boadicea the Victorious“ perfume in Russia. Despite being arrested by HM Revenue and Customs in 2023, the investigation against Crisp was dropped earlier this year, even though evidence of illegal sales amounting to over £1.7m was found. Crisp denies knowingly breaching sanctions or concealing trades with Russia.
There have been no criminal convictions in the UK for violating trade sanctions on Russia since their invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. This lack of punishment is criticized by senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who believes it sends a negative message and makes the UK appear lenient on such matters.
Crisp, who traveled internationally to sell high-end perfume, was caught in an undercover operation when he confessed his activities to a private investigator posing as a potential buyer. Despite agreeing to cease trading with Russia after the introduction of sanctions, evidence revealed that Crisp continued to sell perfume in Moscow. His former business partner, David Garofalo, took legal action against him, resulting in Crisp being removed from the company.
Crisp denies the allegations made against him and looks forward to being fully exonerated. Although HMRC initially arrested him and seized his passport, they later dropped the investigation and took no further action. This decision has raised concerns as evidence collected by Garofalo was deemed irrefutable. HMRC stated that failure to comply with sanctions is a serious offense and violators could face financial penalties or criminal prosecution.
The lack of criminal prosecutions for violating trade sanctions on Russia since 2022 has sparked criticism from lawmakers like Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who believes the UK needs to be more proactive in enforcing sanctions and deterring violators. Other countries, such as the US, are seen as more advanced in this regard. Der ehemalige Parteiführer der Konservativen Partei sagte, dass HMRC oft Vereinbarungen trifft, anstatt hohe Geldstrafen oder strafrechtliche Verurteilungen zu verhängen.
„Die Behörden könnten sagen, dass die Sanktionsverstöße zu klein sind, um strafrechtlich verfolgt zu werden, aber die Antwort ist, dass man die kleinen verfolgt, weil die großen wissen müssen, dass man auch gegen sie vorgeht“, fügte er hinzu.
Die britische Regierung hatte gehofft, dass Sanktionen abschreckend wirken würden, ohne dass eine strenge Durchsetzung erforderlich wäre, so Tim Ash von der außenpolitischen Denkfabrik Chatham House.
„Die Realität ist, der Reiz, Geschäfte mit Russland zu machen, die riesigen Gewinne, die erzielt werden können, sind für einige Leute zu verlockend“, erklärte Herr Ash.
„Sie sind mehr an ihrem Gewinn interessiert, als an dem bodenlosen Loch der sterbenden Ukrainer.“
Er sagte, dass Fälle wie der von Herrn Crisp eine klare Botschaft senden, dass es keine Konsequenzen für die Fortführung von Geschäften mit Russland geben wird.
„Wir sind fast drei Jahre in die [Vollskala-] Invasion, und die Tatsache, dass wir unser Sanktionsregime noch nicht zusammen haben, ist ziemlich außergewöhnlich.“