Portugal prohibits sale of alleged mansion of Abramovich

The sale of a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) luxury mansion in Portugal was halted due to a “strong conviction” that it belonged to sanctions-hit Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho said on Saturday.

The property record of the home in the upscale Quinta do Lago resort in the Algarve was blocked on March 25 at the request of the foreign ministry, one month after Russia’s complete invasion of Ukraine.

“We have a strong conviction, which hasn’t been fully confirmed, the house belongs to Roman Abramovich,” Cravinho said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Berlin. “The challenge here is that many of those sanctioned do not have their properties and assets in their names.”

According to the Publico newspaper, which broke the story first, the former Chelsea soccer club owner attempted to sell the property 15 days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through the Delaware-based Millhouse Views LLC, which is controlled by Millhouse LLC, which administers his assets.

Abramovich’s spokeswoman, meanwhile, told Reuters that he does own “any property in Portugal” and that “Millhouse Views LCC is not related” to him.

“In truth, we’ve never heard of this firm,” said the spokeswoman.

According to Publico, Caixa Geral de Depositos, Portugal’s largest bank, observed the sale and notified authorities. The bank did not respond.

According to Publico, the property is in plot 17 of Quinta do Lago’s San Lorenzo North area. A Reuters witness said a signboard outside the gated mansion said it had been sold.

Abramovich has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union over his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has denied having such ties.

The billionaire was granted Portuguese citizenship in April 2021 based on a law offering naturalization to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula during the Mediaeval Inquisition.

There is a little-known history of Sephardic Jews in Russia.

The case sent shockwaves across Portugal, leading public prosecutors to launch an investigation and the detention of a rabbi responsible for the certification that allowed Abramovich to obtain citizenship.

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