Dutch firms fined for violating sanctions over building of Crimea bridge
Four Dutch firms and eight individuals have been fined and given community service sentences for violating European Union sanctions by helping build a controversial bridge from Russia to Crimea between 2014 and 2017.
The violations pertain to the June 2014 sanctions that the EU imposed on Russia following its annexation of Crimea four months earlier.
‘The criminal cases against four companies and eight people have now been settled out of court,’ the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said in a news release, 13 October. ‘The Public Prosecution Service accuses these companies and individuals of deliberately selling parts and providing technical assistance for the construction of the Crimean Bridge,’ it said in comments translated from Dutch.
The unidentified companies have paid fines totalling 160,000 euros and the eight individuals will perform community service ranging from 20 to 60 hours, the office said, adding that one company was also ordered to hand back the 71,000 euros it had earned on the project.
Investigations had shown that Dutch companies and individuals had developed and supplied goods for the bridge construction, including parts for pile hammers, vibratory hammers and power packs, the news release said. ‘Furthermore, technical assistance was provided in the context of these deliveries both in the Netherlands and on location,’ it explained.
Several other companies were reportedly involved in the sanctions violations.
‘The Public Prosecution Service believes that there is sufficient evidence that they have committed criminal offenses. A settlement decision in these criminal cases is expected to follow within a few months,’ it said.
