Amid legal uncertainty as Soviet state institutions unravelled in the 1990s, opportunities arose for the elites of the successor states to profit individually from the transfer of Soviet-era assets. 

The ensuing wealth transfers have provided much business for British professional services firms. But the provision of these services to post-Soviet kleptocrats and their associates has undermined the integrity of important UK institutions and weakened the rule of law. 

Financial and professional services firms have long made the UK a comfortable home for dirty money, according to a report by renowned think-tank Chatham House. 

The report delves into kleptocracy and the UK – with Malta earning itself a mention for its sale of golden passports as a parallel for the UK’s own golden visa scheme. 

The full report can be read here.