Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Jersey Proceeds-of-Crime Inquiry Complicates AbramovichUK Clash Over Chelsea Sale Funds

A disclosure in Fordstam’s accounts flags a Jersey criminal investigation that could reshape control of the frozen proceeds.

Overview

  • Fordstam’s newly filed accounts cite Jersey Court judgments indicating the Attorney General is probing whether assets linked to a Camberley loan, potentially including the net proceeds, are the proceeds of crime.
  • The money from the 2022 sale remains frozen in a UK account, with the government insisting it be ringfenced for Ukraine and Abramovich’s camp asserting he should control allocation.
  • The filings indicate about £987 million would remain after repaying a £1.4 billion Camberley loan, and the buyers have withheld £150 million for five years to cover pre-acquisition liabilities.
  • Sky News reports the accounts show £2.407 billion from the sale on the books, with Fordstam stating only the net proceeds after liabilities are intended for a charitable foundation.
  • Abramovich denies wrongdoing and has not been charged, and separately Chelsea faces 74 FA charges that the club expects will result in a financial penalty while current owners stress cooperation.