Holdings of billions worth of companies, real estate, yachts and another string of assets by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich have been seized by various countries and territories in recent days, according to the British media. Private and at least one yacht seized in France.However, the most significant step is the mobilization of the authorities on the Jersey Canal Island to enforce the sanctions, which includes freezing holdings in oligarch-related companies worth “more than seven billion dollars”.
Abramovich initially added only to the list of sanctions of Britain, the country where he spent much of his time in recent years and where he owned many clubs, as well as the Chelsea Football Club. The EU later adopted the sanctions against him, but the United States has not yet done so. In the background are the efforts of Abramovich, who is also an Israeli and Portuguese citizen, to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The escalation in the war.It is reported that he suffered from the poisoning attempt made during the talks.
Authorities in France have now reportedly seized 33 assets of oligarchs on the union’s sanctions list, including at least a dozen belonging to Abramovich. The value of all seized assets, according to the French government statement, “crosses the 25 billion euro mark”. In contrast, in the UK real estate assets related to Abramovich have not yet been seized, although their ownership is known, due to ownership issues through companies and legal issues. His holdings in EVRAZ, the Russian steel giant, have been frozen.
But one of the most significant steps is a raid that reportedly took place on corporate offices in the island of Jersey, a British territory that serves as a tax haven and a place for registering straw companies for billionaires from around the world. Previous media investigations in the UK and US have revealed that Abramovich took a series of preliminary steps and transferred ownership of some of his companies to associates, as well as changed their place of activity, including to an island that is a UK-sponsored area. The holding on one of his yachts to a business associate, David Davidovich, on the day of the invasion of Ukraine.
According to an official statement from the island’s authorities, they have frozen the activities of companies whose value stands at “more than $ 7 billion”, somehow related to Abramovich. Abramovich’s total fortune is estimated at $ 8 billion to $ 14 billion, so the move by the Channel Island authorities could be very significant. The move by the authorities refers to properties located on the island itself, or to “companies listed on the island.”