UK has indicated that a prosecution or other legal action could be brought over the frozen 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) from Russian businessman Roman Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea soccer club that he had wanted to go to Ukraine war victims.
The UK government sanctioned Abramovich in a crackdown on Russian oligarchs following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering a rushed sale of the Premier League club in 2022 and freezing of the proceeds under obscure terms.
Three years on, the money is yet to be disbursed during a row over its distribution.
Britain wants the money spent only in Ukraine in line with a wider European push for Moscow to foot the bill for the vast destruction and deaths triggered by its invasion. Abramovich wants more flexibility and for the money to go to all victims.
Asked by Reuters to provide a central document with the Chelsea sale terms, the UK government said it could not because that may interfere with “law enforcement” that could involve “prevention or detection of crime”, “apprehension or prosecution of offenders” and “administration of justice”.
It was unclear who might be under suspicion or what potential wrongdoing was involved. Abramovich has denied having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his legal representatives said there were no cases against him in the UK.
Foreign minister David Lammy has also said Britain could bring legal action over the funds, though he gave no further details in comments published in the Financial Times at the weekend and added that his “first instinct” was not litigation.
