I have no idea if this interpretation/analysis is right. It probably isn't, but only probably. We have a blind spot in west & are very naive about a lot of things. Fraudsters know how the West thinks and how to push the West's buttons to get a predictable reaction. <thread> https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/1346011131165483008

If someone were a fraudster in Russia at risk of being discovered, the smart thing to do would be to pose as & persuade West you were a Russian dissident by publicly criticizing Putin and his regime. Then, no one would ever ask questions and you'd be given safe harbour in West.

You could flee to West with your ill-gotten gains, and any allegations of fraud would be assumed to be fabricated by Russian state. You'd get off Scott free & wouldn't be extradited. I'm not saying that happened. I'm saying we are naive to risk & can be played like a grand piano.

There was a documentary made about Bill Browder that basically alleges that is what happened. The journalist in question had a long history of integrity & had been a frequent Putin critic in the past. He originally set out to make documentary telling Browder's side of story.

However, during his research/investigations he discovered a lot of irregularities & Browder's story didn't add up. He dug deeper. He eventually became persuaded Browder had engaged in tax evasion, was being investigated, and managed to convince the world it as a political hit job

It is not impossible that Browder took advantage of the gullibility of the West. You can commit any crime you want in Russia, criticize the regime publicly, flee, and then just claim the Russian government is making it up because you criticized Putin or the Russian government.

Browder successfully lobbied to have the documentary expose censored/banned in the west. I managed to find a version and watched it. The evidence against Browder is actually quite compelling, and as noted, the journalist who made the documentary has a track record of integrity.

Wrt ZeroHege article, I'm referring mostly to this:

"While in Germany he was on probation for a suspended jail sentence concerning a fraud conviction in 2014. His so-called Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has a checkered history of shady financing, from allegations of... (1/2)

...foreign funding by the U.S. State Department to charges of embezzling millions of dollars. Ironically, the blogger and media activist produces slick programs accusing the Russian government of corruption." (2/2).

No idea if it's true, but probability is not 0%.