Deloitte bantu Roman Abramovich sembunyi aset USD10 bilion, elak cukai, menurut laporan

Roman Abramovich, the former owner of English Premier League football club Chelsea, is facing accusations from UK sanctions over his alleged links with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Deloitte Cyprus is being scrutinized for allegedly assisting the Russian oligarch in hiding at least USD10 billion in assets and evading millions of dollars in taxes through forged documents, according to a report published on Monday by Anadolu Agency, BBC, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Guardian, and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

The investigation, a collaborative effort between these media outlets, revealed over 1,000 records dating back to 1999 and 2013, implicating more than 100 companies. These records included documents used to support fraudulent financial statements. In one instance, a document's altered date made it appear as though USD10 billion in assets held by Electus Investments, based in Cyprus, were owned by a company with the same name in the British Virgin Islands. This allowed the ownership to avoid public disclosure requirements.

Another case involved financial accounts submitted by Deloitte that did not list Abramovich's luxury yacht, superyacht, and personal jet worth USD672 million, according to the investigation. The report also uncovered a tax evasion scheme involving approximately USD2 billion held by Kravin Investments. The forged documents made the funds appear to be owned by foreign subsidiaries, potentially enabling Kravin Investments to evade millions in tax on their earnings.

Abramovich's lawyers deny that he hid assets, evaded taxes, or knowingly participated in the date manipulation, asserting that he relies on professional advisors. Deloitte Cyprus stated that it acted in accordance with the law and cannot comment on documents older than 20 years. The investigation did not find evidence of Deloitte's entities operating outside of Cyprus. Abramovich, once the owner of Chelsea Football Club, faces sanctions from the UK over his alleged ties to President Putin.