A WORLD-LEADING expert on corruption and money laundering will meet with MSPs to discuss dirty money and its impact on the public purse.
Oliver Bullough, the author of Butler to the World: How Britain became the servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals, will visit the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday to discuss his new book.
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He will meet with parliamentarians and their staff to speak about how Westminster’s lax financial regulation has for years made London a global haven for criminals, crooked businesses and tax dodgers.
The book contains a chapter on Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) which are used to disguise the true owners of a business.
The structure has been widely criticised for allowing corrupt oligarchs and criminals to disguise their activities and Michelle Thomson, who invited Bullough to Holyrood, has previously said the link between the name of SLPs and Scotland is damaging the country’s international brand.
The SNP MSP for Falkirk East said: “It has been clear for many years that lax regulation at Westminster over many years has contributed to the growth of The City of London as a centre for money laundering.
“Despite the recent Economic Crime Bill passing at Westminster, it is too little too late.
“Hearing direct from an expert in this field will allow all MSPs, or all parties, to hear about the scale of corruption.
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“Corruption is lost money to the public purse. This is money that pays for doctors, teachers and nurses.”
The issue was thrust into the spotlight after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russian businesspeople have been sanctioned by the UK amid fears many are making use of the country's limited regulation to launder money.
Bullough is an expert on money laundering and previously worked as a Moscow correspondent for the global news agency Reuters.
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