UK freezes $13 billion in assets owned by Abramovich partners – 04/14/2022

LONDON, April 14, 2022 (AFP) – Britain announced, on Thursday, an asset freeze worth about 10 billion pounds ($13 billion, 12 billion euros) for two oligarchs long linked to Russian club owner Roman Abramovich.

The sanctions imposed on Chelsea coach Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich, a Canadian and a Russian, respectively, bring the total number of oligarchs, relatives and associates that London has sanctioned since Russia invaded Ukraine in February to 106.

The British government has asserted that this asset freeze – the largest in the country’s history – will cut key sources of income from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “war machine”.

“We are targeting the circle of people closest to the Kremlin,” Secretary of State Liz Truss said in a statement.

“We will continue to impose sanctions until Putin fails in Ukraine. Nothing and no one is excluded,” he added.

Davidovich, described by Forbes magazine as “Abramović’s sober right-hand man,” has also been banned from traveling in the UK.

In turn, Tenenbaum is presented as one of the closest business partners of the owner of Chelsea, who, immediately after the Russian invasion, took control of an investment company associated with Abramovich.

The island of Jersey, which is affiliated with the British crown, announced on Wednesday that it has frozen more than $7 billion in assets believed to be linked to Abramovich.

And last month, London already imposed sanctions on the businessman because of his close ties with Putin. The billionaire was forced to put the London football club he bought in 2003 for sale.

Abramovich is also on the list of people sanctioned by the European Union in March.

jwp-acc / es / jc

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