Former Chelsea owner Abramovich linked to close aides of Vladimir Putin: Reports
Roman Abramovich, the former owner of the Premier League club Chelsea, has been linked to two close associates of Russian president Vladimir Putin, as per a report by the BBC.
Published : Nov 14, 2023 21:41 IST - 1 MIN READ
File photo of Roman Abramovich. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Roman Abramovich, the former owner of the Premier League club Chelsea, has been linked to two close associates of Russian president Vladimir Putin, as per a report by the BBC.
According to the report, the Russian billionaire was involved in a deal worth USD 40 million which involved the purchase of shares from a company for inflated prices, from a company ultimately owned by him, to a Russian advertising company, Video International that belonged to members of Putin’s close aides.
The two people, as revealed through documents from Cyprus, are Sergei Roldugin and Alexander Plekhov, two people who have been accused of being “wallets” of president Putin, secretly holding his assets.
ALSO READ: Manchester City draws 4-4 against Chelsea after former player Palmer converts stoppage time penalty
The court, however, has not identified the two as the true owner of the accounts.
BBC partnered with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIC) to uncover the revelations as part of Cyprus Confidential - a global investigation led by reporters at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and Paper Trail Media.
Abramovich completed the sale of Chelsea to a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly in May 2022 at a price of 2.5 billion pounds (USD 3.2 billion) — the highest ever for a sports team.