Cyprus privacy: leaked Abramovich documents expose Chelsea FC to new scrutiny

Fresh insights into the financial dealings of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, including offshore transactions allegedly linked to his former ownership of Chelsea Football Club, are contained in a huge volume of leaked documents from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ) and other media partners, including The Irish Times.

The leaks, mostly from financial companies with an EU base in Cyprus, reveal the extent of that country's business dealings with wealthy Russian businessmen and individuals close to the Kremlin, many of which were authorized after Russia's intervention in Ukraine in February 2022.

The documents include''s 2018 financial statements of two companies registered in the British Virgin Islands that were owned by a Cypriot trust in whose favor Mr. Abramovich was set up. Among the $3 billion (2.76 billion euros) hedge fund pools owned by the two companies were investments worth $358 million in four funds registered in Ireland.

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