Russian power continues to undermine London. Abramovich, now a Portuguese man, has lost his visa, but the UK is still a haven for foreign millionaires – Observer

In the case of this millionaire, it may seem that the British are tightening the noose around Russian citizens in their country for political reasons. But still Abramovich may have fallen victim to his vision As the owner of one of the largest football clubs in the Premier League. After all, the The UK continues to be seen as a haven for many wealthy foreigners, Sometimes obtained illegally in countries where the boundaries between politics and business are blurred.

One Report by Saddam House Earlier this month it painted a dark picture: “The UK has taken new measures against money laundering and money laundering, but they have not had much of an impact,” say its authors. Cash flow – mostly Russian – “has undermined the integrity of many important British institutions and weakened the rule of law.” According to Transparency International, At least 160 properties in the UK have been purchased by people suspected of corruption – 84% of them in London, most within three miles of Buckingham Palace. Many of them were purchased by foreign-registered companies, mostly overseas, which would indicate fraud.

Oliver Pullo, journalist and author of the book Land of money (Ed. Biography), there is no doubt that this happened for many years when the British authorities were blind to the origin of Russian money: “It created jobs in London and symbolized how the Russians became famous bosses – it convinced us that they too would become democrats.”, The author tells the viewer. “It was the events in Ukraine in 2014 that prompted these hopes to be reconsidered.” The invasion of Crimea, Vladimir Putin’s increased hostility to the West and the Scribble affair have all exacerbated British relations with Moscow in recent years. Abramovich has fallen victim to this scenario – but not only is he still out of control, but London is a haven for people like him.

Abramovich’s case is indicative of other reasons. This year, billionaire Reuters sued journalist Catherine Beldon in a London court, which explains how many of these Russian oligarchs use the judicial system to prevent doubts about the origin of their money from circulating in the media. “The Belton Case was fascinating”, comments by Observer Elizabeth Schimphoslin, a researcher at the University of Aston and author of the book Rich Russians: From oligarchy to the bourgeoisie (No version in Portuguese).

Belton is a former Financial Times reporter in Moscow Abramovich filed a defamation suit following the complaint. There are parts of the book in question Putin’s people: How the KGB withdrew from Russia and then conquered the West, At the place where Belton writes, based on reports from various sources (some identified, some not) Chelsea owner Vladimir Putin has bought the club. “The Kremlin correctly calculated that the way to be accepted in British society was through its greatest love, the national game,” Beldon writes in the book, before adding direct quotes from sources to the idea that Chelsea is buying Putin.

The author also writes that “someone close to Abramovich” denied contact with the Kremlin and that “whatever the truth,” Chelsea’s purchase had become a “symbol of Russian money flooding England”. The millionaire (along with two Russian oligarchs) decided to sue the journalist and made a favorable decision in the first stage of the process: the judge considered in November. Judgment is a matter to be pursued.