Roman Abramovich’s failed bid for Swiss residency have emerged after a legal battle

Roman Abramovich was deemed a “threat to public security and a reputational risk” by Switzerland’s federal police if he became a resident of the country.

The details of the Chelsea football club owner’s failed bid to secure Swiss residency emerged yesterday (Tuesday) after the oligarch lost a seven-month legal battle against a media company to publish the information.

Opinion

Zurich publisher, Tamedia, obtained details of a letter written by police who were asked by the state migration secretariat to offer their opinion on whether Abramovich should be allowed to live in the canton of Valais in south west Switzerland.

Abramovich applied for Swiss residency in July 2016 and had hoped to make Verbier his official home.

According to Tamedia, police reported that Abramovich was known for “suspicion of money laundering and presumed contacts with criminal organisations”. The letter asserted there was reason to believe that “the applicant’s assets are at least partially of illegal origin”.

Complaint

Abramovich’s lawyer, Daniel Glasl, has filed a request for correction of facts to the federal police. He said he planned to file a criminal complaint against whoever disseminated the information.

“Any suggestion that Mr Abramovich has been involved in money laundering or has contacts with criminal organisations is entirely false,” he said. “Mr Abramovich has never been charged with participating in money laundering and does not have a criminal record. He has never had, or been alleged to have, connections with criminal organisations.”

The allegations made in the letters are based on police information which is not easily verifiable. They are not based on any court rulings and Abramovich has never been indicted in Switzerland.

Injunction

In February, the oligarch secured an injunction banning any publication in the media of details of the Swiss police’s letter. The ruling was overturned when the Swiss federal supreme court rejected Abramovich’s appeal on Friday. Tamedia published its story on Tuesday morning. Abramovich withdrew his Swiss residency application In June 2017.

He withdrew his application to renew his UK residency visa in the Spring and obtained Israeli citizenship. Yesterday Bloomberg reported he was seeking $3billion for Chelsea.