Former Chelsea Football Club owner, Roman Abramovich
Di UK goment don threaten to sue former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich to make sure say di money from di club sale go to Ukraine.
Di £2.5bn wey be di money wey dem sell Chelsea, authorities hold am for one UK bank account since di sale, and dem sanction Oga Abramovich afta Russia full-scale invasion of Ukraine for February 2022.
UK goment want make di money be for Ukrainian humanitarian aid, but Oga Abramovich say im want am to go to “all victims of di war for Ukraine”.
For inside one joint statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy say: “While di door for negotiations still remain open, we dey fully prepared to pursue dis through di courts if required.”
Dem say dem want “to ensure say pipo wey dey suffer for Ukraine fit benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible”.
Dem add say: “Di goment dey determined to see di money from di sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes for Ukraine, following Russia illegal full-scale invasion.
“We dey deeply frustrated say im no dey possible to reach agreement on dis wit Oga Abramovich so far”.
Di delay in releasing di funds na sake of disagreement between di UK goment and im lawyers.
Oga Abramovich – na Russian billionaire wey make im money from oil and gas – dem give am one special licence to sell Chelsea afta Russia invasion of Ukraine, provided say im fit prove say om no go fit benefit from di sale.
Im dey alleged to get strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, something wey im don deny.
Im no fit access di £2.5bn sale proceeds under UK sanctions but di money still legally belong to am.
Wen im bin announce im decision to sell di club, im say di money from di sale go dey donated via one foundation “for di benefit of all victims of di war for Ukraine”, wey go include those for Russia.
Di UK goment pushback and argue say di funds suppose only dey spent on humanitarian efforts inside Ukraine.
One House of Lords committee tok last year say e dey “incomprehensible” say Oga Abramovich neva fufill im promise to use di funds to support Ukraine, and dem add say di assets still dey frozen.
“Dis situation reflects badly on both Oga Abramovich and di goment, wey suppose don push for a more binding commitment,” di report say.
Background of how Abramovich sell Chelsea
Funds from Roman Abramovich sale of Chelsea wey bin suppose go to victims of di war for Ukraine authorities neva release am.
For 2023, one official say di “disagreement” wey cause di delay na sake of how to use di funds na im dey delay di release of £2.5bn from di deal.
Dem no comment on whether na Abramovich dey behind di delay.
“We no want to speculate,” Daniel Drake, deputy director of di sanctions taskforce for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, bin tok.
“I think di disagreement na between those involved in running dis fund and di goment”
Chelsea £4.25bn sale to one consortium wey bin dey led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital dem complete am for May 2022.
Abramovich bin say di money go dey used “for di benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine” wen im bin announce im decision to sell for March 2022, a month afta Russia invasion of Ukraine.
However, UK goment refuse to release di money unless im guarantee say di money go only goe to Ukrainians for Ukraine, not elsewhere.
“Di money from di sale dem freeze am for one UK bank account,” Europe Minister Leo Docherty tell di House of Lords European Affairs Committee.
Russian billionaire Abramovich bin buy Chelsea for £140m for 2003.
Im chop sanction from UK goment as part of dia response to Russia invasion of Ukraine