A court in Cyprus has cleared a 32-year-old Ukrainian woman of money laundering charges. The Larnaca Criminal Court found no strong evidence of illegal origins for the money she brought to Cyprus. However, there were problems with her customs declarations.
A 43-year-old Ukrainian man was also cleared of money laundering. He was connected to a package from the woman. The case started after the woman reported a robbery in March 2024. She said €420,000 was stolen in Limassol.
This report led to an investigation into her money. She made many trips to Cyprus. Between August 2023 and March 2024, she brought nearly €7.8 million. She always told customs the source of the money.
The prosecution argued the money was from crime. They said she was trying to hide its illegal source. But the court said the prosecution did not prove this. They could not show the money came from criminal activity.
The court did find a case against her for false declarations. This was about why she brought the money into Cyprus. It was not about where the money came from. The court needed proof of criminal links. This proof was missing.
The woman faced a possible 14-year prison sentence for money laundering. She is now free from those charges. However, she still faces charges for false customs declarations. She could get up to five years for each of the twenty times she misrepresented the money's purpose. These cases will continue on February 4th.