Abramovich Strikes Back: Jersey Government Slammed for ‘Extreme’ Conduct in Court Ruling

It has been widely reported that:-

• In the Jersey courts, A judge has lifted the privacy order on a series of cases brought by former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich against the Jersey government - meaning the details of the two-year battle will be made public for the first time.
• The Jersey government said claims against Mr Abramovich came because he admitted during high-profile public English High Court proceedings between him and Boris Berezovsky, which ended in 2012, that he had purportedly engaged in corrupt activity in Russia in the 1990s and early 2000s.

On 16th November, it was reported that in a judgment last week, Advocate David Michael Cadin, master of the Jersey Royal Court,

• Ordered the government of Jersey to pay Abramovich’s costs, describing its behaviour as “extreme”.
• Noted that officials had failed to provide data requested by the Russian billionaire more than two years ago, he went on: “The GOJ defendants’ conduct was out of the ordinary for any litigant, let alone an ‘office holder’, and unreasonable.”
• Said: “No proper explanation has been offered by the GOJ defendants for their failings.”

Timeline

• April 2022: Jersey freezes $7 billion in Abramovich-linked assets under sanctions regime.
• November 2022: Abramovich named as a suspect in a criminal investigation into corruption and money laundering.
• 2023–2024: Abramovich challenges GOJ over data disclosure failures; alleges conspiracy and wrongful deletion of data.
• November 2025: Privacy order lifted; judgment issued criticising GOJ and awarding costs to Abramovich.

Data deleted

• The Russian billionaire had initially requested the gagging order on the cases but removed his opposition after he alleged a conspiracy by the island’s authorities over a criminal investigation brought against him in 2022.
• Abramovich had already succeeded in his legal attempt to force ministers and other senior figures in Jersey to produce private messages, emails and other data related to him, which will now be made public.
• However, it has now been revealed in court documents that the Jersey government data linked to the original investigation in 2022 was wrongly deleted.

2022

• In April 2022, the Royal Court of Jersey imposed a formal freezing order on $7 billion in assets held in trusts, which Jersey said were linked to Abramovich, and the Attorney General of Jersey said Abramovich was a suspect in a criminal investigation.
• Police later apologised for what they admitted was an illegal search of his property on the island, which came after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine and the West slapped the most severe sanctions in history on Russian officials and Russian businesspeople.
• He claims that he was actively courted by Jersey, along with other wealthy individuals from Russia, to relocate to the island in 2016 and that his sources of money were given a clean bill of health.
• But following the invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after he was disqualified as an owner in March 2022.
• A criminal case in Jersey over the sources of his wealth was then launched against him in November 2022  and remains open, although no charges have been brought.

A spokesperson for Mr Abramovich said

• There was “no basis” for claims that his wealth was unexplained.
• They said: “We are grateful that Jersey courts have taken these matters seriously, as demonstrated by the fact that Mr Abramovich was allowed earlier this year to introduce claims of conspiracy against the government of Jersey.
• “It should be noted that no charges have been brought against Mr Abramovich in the 3.5 years since the investigation was commenced, and, to our knowledge, in fact no progress has been made on this case.
• This is not surprising, as this case is entirely baseless – and Mr Abramovich will continue to challenge these claims as well as ensure that the obvious violations of rights are recognised for what they are: an unlawful overreach that must be corrected.”

Current Status

• Criminal investigation remains open; no charges filed after 3.5 years.
• Abramovich allowed to introduce conspiracy claims against GOJ.
• Plans to escalate to the European Court of Human Rights.

News

• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/roman-abramovich-jersey-court-privacy-wealth-b2865922.html#
• https://www.aol.com/news/details-legal-battle-between-roman-134919506.html?guccounter=1
• https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russian-billionaire-abramovich-says-jersey-investigation-is-baseless-and-unlawful
• https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3700351-forex-fraud-unraveled-inside-an-international-scam