Council of Europe's top anti-money laundering officer resigns after links to Russian intelligence revealed
A total of 90 Russian citizens have been working in the Council of Europe since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to dual citizenship
Moneyval CEO Igor Nebyvayev has resigned. The day before, Bild reported that his father, Vladimir Nebyvayev, holds a high position in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
Moneyval is a committee of experts of the Council of Europe to evaluate anti-money laundering measures. Since March 2020, it has been chaired by Russian citizen Igor Nebyvayev. According to the newspaper, Igor Nebyvayev had access to classified data and participated in the development of the program's guidelines. On Tuesday, he sent a letter to his colleagues saying that he was resigning, according to moneylaundering.com.
He was replaced as Moneyval's executive secretary by Livia Stojka-Becht, former head of the Council of Europe's legal cooperation department. At the same time, Nebyvayev remained at the Council of Europe, taking a different position, two sources familiar with the matter told moneylaundering.com.
In mid-March, Bild published an article about Russians working in the Council of Europe. According to the article, 90 Russian citizens retained their jobs in the organization after Russia's invasion of Ukraine because of dual citizenship.
Separately, Bild pointed to Igor Nebyvayev, whose father, according to the publication, is a general of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
In 2018, the Ukrainian authorities expelled Nebyvayev Sr. and other suspected spies from the country after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, the German newspaper wrote.
Following the publication of the article, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu demanded that the Council of Europe demand Nebuev's resignation.
"I was surprised to learn from the article that a Russian citizen still holds a position that is supposed to stand for transparency and openness," Reinsalu told Bild.
The Moneyval Secretariat includes 18 analysts and other staff members who identify new threats related to money laundering and terrorist financing.
After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe. On March 15, 2022, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe expelled the country from the organization.
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