Natalie Sedletska, an investigative reporter from Ukraine, discussed her UK documentary “From Russia with Cash”, with the Prague Civil Society Centre in our inaugural Prague Talks event.

“From Russia with Cash”, a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation, tracks Sedletska and fellow journalist Maksym Savchuk as they go undercover in the London real estate market to expose the flow of money out of Russia and into UK property. Playing a husband-and-wife duo, “Boris”, a fake Russian government official and “Nastya” line up viewings at some of London’s most prestigious addresses. Boris explains how the money for the property comes “straight from the Russian government budget”, and then presses the estate agents to provide details on their experience and expertise in dealing with dodgy transactions.

When the film was released in the UK in 2015, it prompted then-Prime Minister David Cameron to vow that “the UK must not become a safe haven for corrupt money from around the world.”

At the Prague Talks event, an audience of 100 watched the investigation, and Sedletska explained more about the documentary to Rostislav Valvoda, Executive Director of the Prague Civil Society Centre.

Sedletska is now the host of “Schemes” on the Ukrainian service Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, one of the most-watched Ukrainian TV programmes which goes into detail about corruption inside the country.