OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2011. The EBRD has agreed to a request from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and from the Russian authorities to lift the immunity of four officials assigned to the EBRD by the Russian government, reported the press-centre of EBRD.

The purpose of lifting the immunity is to facilitate investigations by both UK police and by Russian authorities into alleged criminal activities.

The officials either work or have worked at the EBRD in their capacity as representatives of the Russian government, a shareholder of the EBRD and one of its Countries of Operations.

Independently, and prior to the requests to lift the officials’ immunity, the EBRD had already launched an internal investigation, whose findings have been shared with the Russian authorities in accordance with the Bank’s Code of Conduct, and will be made available to the UK police.

The EBRD is working very closely on this matter with both the UK police and with the Russian authorities.