The British High Commission in South Africa has announced that the UK has imposed sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, against 22 individuals under the new Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime, which gives it the power to stop alleged corrupt actors profiting from the UK economy and exploiting its citizens.

The sanctions target 22 individuals allegedly involved in notorious corruption cases in Russia, South Africa, South Sudan and throughout Latin America. Individuals suspected of being involved in some of the world’s most serious cases of corruption will no longer be able to channel their money through UK banks or enter the country owing to the new sanctions announced by the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

“This new regime will allow the UK to combat serious corruption, in particular bribery and misappropriation. It will promote effective governance, robust democratic institutions and the rule of law – demonstrating our powers as a force for good around the world,” he said.

“Corruption has a corrosive effect as it slows development, drains the wealth of poorer nations and keeps their people trapped in poverty. It poisons the well of democracy.

“The individuals we have sanctioned [on April 26] have been involved in some of the most notorious corruption cases around the world. Global Britain is standing up for democracy, good governance and the rule of law. We are saying to those involved in serious corruption: we will not tolerate you or your dirty money in our country.”

The measures are deliberately targeted, so the UK can impose sanctions on allegedly corrupt individuals and their enablers, rather than entire nations.

They are being taken partly in tandem with the US, which is also announcing further corruption sanctions. Acting together sends the clearest possible signal that corruption comes with a heavy price, said UK Minister for Africa James Duddridge.

“The launch of the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime sends an important message - that the UK will stand up for fair and open societies around the world by taking action against those responsible for serious corruption.

“The South African people know better than most the corrosive effect corruption has on a country, its economy and its people. [On April 26], the UK is supporting the important efforts of the South African authorities to tackle corruption, by imposing sanctions against Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and Salim Essa for their roles in serious corruption, which caused significant damage to the South African economy,” he said.

The UK’s first wave of sanctions under this new sanctions regime is also targeting those allegedly involved in the diversion of $230-million of Russian State property through a fraudulent tax refund scheme uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, the British High Commission in South Africa said.

Further, Sudanese businessperson Ashraf Seed Ahmed Hussein Ali, widely known as Al Cardinal has also been targeted with sanctions for his involvement in the alleged misappropriation of significant amounts of State assets in one of the poorest countries in the world. This diversion of resources in collusion with South Sudanese elites has contributed to ongoing instability and conflict.

Additionally, the UK sanctioned several individuals allegedly involved in serious corruption in Latin America, including facilitating bribes to support a major drug trafficking organisation and misappropriation that has led to citizens being deprived of vital resources for development.

"The Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime builds on the success of the Global Human Rights sanctions regime established in July 2020, which has resulted in the UK imposing sanctions on 78 individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations, including from Myanmar, Belarus, China and Russia.

"The UK will continue to use a range of means to tackle serious corruption around the world, including funding the International Corruption Unit in the National Crime Agency. The International Corruption Unit and its predecessors have restrained, confiscated or returned more than £1.1-billion of stolen assets, stolen from developing countries since 2006,” said Duddridge.