Cyprus Confidential: Leaked Abramovich documents raise fresh questions for Chelsea FC
Fresh insights into the financial affairs of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, including offshore transactions apparently associated with his former ownership of Chelsea Football Club, are contained in a huge cache of leaked documents shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) Paper Trail Media and 67 media partners including The Irish Times.
The leaked documents, mainly from financial services companies based in EU member state Cyprus, show the extent of that country’s dealings with hugely wealthy Russian business figures and people close to the Kremlin, many of whom were sanctioned in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Among the documents are financial accounts for 2018 for two companies based in the British Virgin Islands that were owned by a Cypriot trust the beneficiary of which was Mr Abramovich. Among hedge fund investments totalling $3 billion (€2.76 billion) held by the two companies at the end of 2018 were investments worth $358 million in four Irish-resident funds.
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Martyn Turner
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