MI5, the British security service, investigated the Icelandic banks in 2005 as it suspected they were involved in money laundering for the Russian mafia.
Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson, professor of political science, stated this yesterday in his talk at a conference at the University of Iceland, Mbl.is reports. The occasion was the 5 year anniversary of the financial collapse in Iceland.
The professor claimed that long established banking institutes abroad had held an ill-will for the Icelandic banks for some time and that foreign governments resented getting competition in the finance division from Iceland.
One of the matters Hannes revealed for the first time was that MI5 had investigated the Icelandic banks as there were concerns that the Russian mafia might be hiding part of its capital there.
Hannes also pointed out how Alistair Darling, UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time of the collapse, stated in his memoirs that Icelandic bankers had donated money to the Conservative Party – main opponent of Darling’s political party.
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