Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on after their 3-1 win in the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on December 19, 2015 in London, England.
Clive Mason | Getty Images
Authorities in the island nation of Jersey have seized more than 7 7 billion worth of assets linked to Roman Abramovich, the latest financial blow to the Russian oligarchy as a result of the Ukraine war.
Jersey state police on Tuesday executed a search warrant on suspicion of involvement in Abramovich’s business activities in Jersey locations, according to a statement from the country’s law enforcement department.
Jersey, Normandy, part of the Channel Islands off the coast of France, part of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy, France, France, a self-governing island headed by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The United Kingdom provides military protection to the island.
The move comes a month after the UK announced financial sanctions against 56-year-old Abramovich for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the architect of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
In the wake of that unpleasant battle, Abramovich announced that he would sell Chelsea, the famous football club in London.
The Guardian newspaper reported last week that Abramovich had transferred ownership of one of his superheroes, “Aquamarine”, to a Jersey-based company controlled by his collaborator, David Davidovich, on February 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine.
It was not clear on Wednesday whether the 50-meter-long Aquamarine jersey left in the Netherlands’ dry dock was one of the assets frozen by authorities.
The Royal Court also issued a formal freezing order on April 12, known as a Sisi judge, over assets worth more than 7 7 billion that are suspected to be linked to Mr Abramovich and which are located or owned in Jersey. The Jersey Law Officer’s Department said in a statement Wednesday that it declined to comment further.
The Financial Times reports that Abramovich has transferred several of his investments from the British Virgin Islands to Jersey in recent years. These include a number of helicopters and a superhero Susuro, the newspaper noted.
The jersey version of the Baileywick Express reported that Abramovich was expected to move to Jersey in 2018, but that did not happen after his UK visa renewal was delayed due to poisoning by former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The English city of Salisbury.
Jersey and Guernsey, which also rely on the UK for protection, ordered financial institutions to seize the assets of five Russian banks and three other billionaires after Putin ordered Russian troops to be sent to eastern Ukraine in late February, the BBC reported at the time.
That month, Jersey’s External Affairs Minister Ian Gorst said the island would take “further action” that was consistent with the UK’s move.
“Officials are working closely with the UK adversary, and we are ready to take further action to ensure that Jersey’s response is consistent with the international community,” Gorst said at the time.