Source:REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the UK government is to take legal action against former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, demanding that he use the £2.5 billion from the club’s sale to aid Ukraine. Roman Abramovich, the sanctioned former owner of Chelsea Football Club, has been notified by the UK government that it will launch legal proceedings against him for failing to “do the right thing” by not allocating the £2.5 billion proceeds from the club’s sale to Ukraine relief efforts. The UK government granted a licence in December to transfer the funds to a newly established foundation for Ukrainian humanitarian aid, a process that required Abramovich’s approval, which he has refused to give. At the time, Abramovich was warned that failure to comply within 90 days would result in legal action against him in the UK.
The editor believes that Abramovich has always claimed that the funds would be used for “all victims of the war in Ukraine”, whereas the UK government has stated that it will only accept the money being used for “the most vulnerable people in Ukraine” and will not allow any arrangements that could potentially benefit Russia. The two sides hold serious differences over the specific use of the funds.