RFE/RL, January 01, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named corruption's "person of the year" for 2014 by an international group of investigative journalists.

The Sarajevo-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) made the announcement on December 31, noting that Putin "has been a finalist" every year since the "award" began.

"You might consider this a lifetime achievement award," said OCCRP editor Drew Sullivan.

According to the statement, Putin "was recognized for his work in turning Russia into a major money-laundering center for enabling organized crime in Crimea and in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine; for his unblemished record of failing to prosecute criminal activity; and for advancing a government policy of working with and using crime groups."

Märkmed: