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A US bid to seize two planes worth more than $400m from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has exposed more of the former Chelsea FC owner’s links to Jersey.
The planes – a $350m Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner believed to be one of the world’s most expensive private planes and a $60m Gulfstream G650ER - were beneficially owned by Mr Abramovich through a chain of shell companies, including two based at La Colomberie.
The Dreamliner is owned by a BVI company, in turn owned by Jersey-based Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited.
The Gulfstream, meanwhile, is owned by Clear Skies Flights Limited in Jersey, which is itself owned by Wotton Overseas Holdings.
Pictured: The Boeing, bearing tail number P4-BDL and manufacturer serial number 37306, is believed to be worth around $350m. (DoJ)
A search of Jersey’s company registry by Express showed that both were set up on 30 June 2017, around six months before it was reported that Mr Abramovich had been granted Jersey residency, which he ultimately did not take up.
They are also based at 50 La Colomberie, the same address as Zedra.
50 La Colomberie is also the address of Camberley International Investments, which gave the former parent company of Chelsea FC, Fordstam, loans totalling around £1.5bn. The Jersey company’s involvement complicated the sale of the Stamford Bridge club to LA Dodgers’ part-owner Todd Boehly, and island authorities had to be consulted.
A New York court heard on Monday that both planes had been flown in March to Russia, breaching sanctions imposed on the heels of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and subsequently granted a warrant for their seizure.
On 4 March, the Boeing had flown from Dubai to Moscow, then back to Dubai on the same day, remaining there since. The Gulfstream, meanwhile, flew between 12 March and 15 March from Istanbul in Turkey to Moscow, then to Tel Aviv in Israel, before returning to Moscow where it remains.
Pictured: The Gulfstream, bearing tail number LX-RAY and manufacturer serial number 6417, is believed to be worth around $60m.
In separate proceedings issued on Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security initiated administrative proceedings against Mr Abramovich, seeking penalties of up to twice the value of the Boeing and the Gulfstream.
These are the latest in a string of global sanctions targeting allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin – in April, Jersey imposed a ‘saisie judiciaire’ over assets valued around $7bn suspected to be linked to Mr Abramovich.
All of those assets were either located in Jersey or held in Jersey-incorporated entities. Jersey's Royal Court previously declined to confirm to Express the exact nature of the assets that it had seized or the individuals and/or companies that may be involved.
Jersey’s Attorney General was last night thanked for his assistance with the US investigation. Contacted by Express, Jersey's Law Officers' Department declined to comment while live investigations remain underway.
US Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave granted the plane seizure warrant after hearing detailed evidence from FBI agent Alan Fowler, who had spent months examining records across Jersey, Cyprus and the BVI and working with authorities in each jurisdiction.
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