More than $ 17 billion (€ 15 billion) in global assets - including offshore bank accounts, yachts, private jets and luxury properties in London, Tuscany, Sardinia and the French Riviera - have been linked to 35 oligarchs and officials Russians who would have close ties with President Vladimir Putin, according to the list of names indicated by the opponent Alexei Navalny.

This was revealed on the front page by the Guardian, which is sifting through the many assets in the world attributable to the allies of the Kremlin leader in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and other international media and today presents the first results of a vast investigation from which other details will emerge in future editions.

The most prominent Russian oligarchs have been targeted, such as Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov - whose property was also frozen in Sardinia - and Oleg Deripaska - owner of four villas on the island -, as well as other super billionaires, former senior officials, and state enterprise boyars, almost all already sanctioned by the EU, the United States and Great Britain after the invasion of Ukraine by the troops of Moscow.

Their combined known fortunes are however well in excess of $ 17 billion.

The research conducted through the project called "Russian Asset Tracker" so far has linked the names under investigation to more than 145 assets consisting of 35 buildings, 43 apartments and another 27 properties, seven yachts, plus 11 private jets and helicopters, and more will emerge. afterwards.

Meanwhile, already by the end of the month, Chelsea will no longer be Roman Abramovich, who has also rescued his superyachts in Turkey. As regards the purchase of the Stamford Bridge club, at least four consortia have submitted an offer, which is now being examined by the bank in charge of the transfer of ownership. The latest potential buyer, but only in chronological order, is the global investment firm Centricus, which has joined the group formed by Sir Martin Broughton, with the involvement of Lord Coe, current No. 1 in the world federation of athletics, and the over € 2.2 billion proposal from British property developer Nick Candy. In recent days, the American Ricketts family, as well as the consortium formed by the Swiss millionaire Hansjorg Wyss and the co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Todd Boehly had expressed an interest in the London club. The necessary documentation and bank guarantees have been sent to the investment bank Raine Group, in charge of the sale of Chelsea. A first selection of offers will be made by the end of the week, while the process is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

(Unioneonline / vl)

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