Russian Oligarch Denies Tax Fraud Allegations Amid BBC Investigation

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich denied tax fraud allegations following a BBC investigation that claimed documents were falsified to conceal his wealth and assist one company in evading taxes. His legal team, Kobre & Kim, stated no evidence showed he knew, authorized, or directed document falsification or backdating, and he denied evading taxes or hiding his fortune.

The BBC reported that superyachts, private jets, and mansions valued at $672 million vanished from Abramovich’s 2006 Cyprus accounts, which Deloitte signed off. Additionally, two other companies were allegedly hidden from Cypriot authorities, with assets totaling nearly $2 billion and over $10 billion, per the BBC’s Panorama program.

Documents were backdated using MeritServus, a Deloitte-owned firm closed by 2005, the BBC reported, which was involved in all three cases.