Ex-Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich has financial links to Putin through 'wallets': Report
Putin-Abramovich
Leaked documents have linked former owner of Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich to two men nicknamed "wallets" of Russian President Vladimir Putin through a multi-million dollar trail, a BBC investigation has revealed.
Abramovich (55) is under sanctions from the UK and the European Union (EU). He has previously denied any financial link to Putin.
BBC has reported that its investigation has revealed documents from Cyprus that link Abramovich, a Russian oligarch to a USD 40 million secret deal made in 2010.
It has been reported that the alleged deal involves transferred shares in a company named Video International which are shown to be of less value than their apparent worth. Video International is a highly profitable Russian company.
It has been alleged that the transactions were made by Abramovich's companies to two people in Putin's inner circle.
The BBC investigationmakes a claim that Abramovich's involvement in the transaction may have been concealed with the use of a complex web of companies in the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus.
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The two companies, which ultimately belong to Abramovich, bought a combined 25 per cent stake in Video International. The companies are Finoto Holdings and Grosora Holdings.
They are owned by Abramovich through a series of shell companies.
There has not been any immediate reaction from Abramovich on the matter. He has previously denied that he has any financial link to Putin and has also downplayed his relationship with the Russian president.
One of the men in Putin's inner circle who are involved in these transactions is reported to be Sergei Roldugin. He is a cellist and also artistic director of St Petersburg Music House. Putin and Rodulgin have known each other since they were young men in St Petersburg.
Rodulgin is said to have introduced Putin to Lyudmila Shkrebneva, whom the Russian president later married. Rodulgin is also the godfather of the couple's first daughter Maria.
BBC says that the second man involved in the transaction is biochemist-turned-businessman Alexander Plekhov.
Rodulgin and Plekhov have been called "wallets" acting on behalf of Putin and holding his assets.