22 May 2004 20:01
Chelsea tycoon a tax target
BILLIONAIRE Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich may be the next target of Kremlin prosecutors after the remote region he
runs was declared bankrupt by Russia's highest audit body.
The remote, sparsely-populated Chukotka region has doled out questionable tax breaks to the magnate's
oilcompany, said Russia's Audit Chamber.
The strongly-critical announcement suggests Abramovich and his Sibneft oil company might be the Kremlin's next
target of prosecution,after Yukos,analysts said.
The nine-month probe into Yukos has led to the jailing of its former chief executive and a top shareholder.
Abramovich is Russia's second richest man, with pounds 7bn, according to Forbes magazine. The jailed
Khodorkovsky is the richest.
[Daily Post (Liverpool)] |
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