
2011 year, Christmas. A year One year ago Roman Abramovich received a new superyacht, Eclipse . But it appeared that he didn’t plan to use it for the holidays: according to documents, the vessel was chartered by a company registered in
the British Virgin Islands, the BBC wrote. Photo: Postimees
2011 year, Christmas. A year ago Roman Abramovich received a new superyacht, Eclipse (Eclipse). But it appeared that he didn’t plan to use it for the holidays: according to documents, the vessel was chartered by
a company registered in the British Birgin Islands, wrote the BBC.
This is a translation of our correspondents’ investigation, the original in English can be read here.
But in the photos, taken on Christmas 2011 year, Roman Abramovich stands in the Caribbean sun on the
swimming platform in the back of the yacht on the background of the big letter
E – yacht Eclipse logo.
Roman Roman Abramovich on the platform for bathing on the yacht Eclipse. Photo: BBC
Similar documents about chartering (leasing ships) are part of a scheme that helped the tax services defraud for decades, from the BBC and Bureau of Journalism In the framework of this scheme the Abramovich yachts were represented as a commercial leasing operation. This enabled the avoidance of paying millions of euros of value-added tax (VAT) on the purchase and operation of yachts.
“It’s evasion from paying taxes, – said to the BBC the Italian lawyer, who specializes in tax law, Professor Tommaso Di Tanno. – It’s – a – crime.”
Abramovich Abramovich (who is rumored to now live between Stambul, Tel Aviv and Sochi) said that the billionaire “has always requested an independent professional advice to experts on taxes and laws” and “followed” the received recommendations.
Abramovich, whom the United Kingdom imposed sanctions in Among these are the 115-meter yacht Pelorus, which is rumored to be in Abramovich lent to soccer player Chelsea John Terry for his Honey month in The scheme of tax evasion as well as other secrets of the corporate empire of Abramovich, was helped to disclose the leak of more 400,000 files and 72,000 of electronic secrets. electronic emails of Cypriot company MeritServus. Documents show how MeritServus managed Abramovich’s businesses through an international network of companies, which were held by a series of trusts. The beneficiary of these trusts was Russianолигарх. Би-би-си и партнеры рассказывают о том, что стало известно благодаря утечке MeritServus, с 2023 года в рамках проекта Cyprus Confidential Международного консорциума журналистов-расследователей (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ). В 2023 году мы рассказали о финансовых связях Абрамовича с близкими друзьями Владимира Путина, которых считают «кошельками» российского президента. Документы проливают свет на то, как советники Абрамовича помогли ему избежать уплаты огромных налогов на эксплуатацию яхт в водах Евросоюза, используя компании, которые сдавали эти яхты в аренду самому олигарху или подконтрольным ему компаниям. Пять яхт, следует из документов, были сданы в аренду кипрской компании под названием Blue Ocean Yacht Management. Компания, в свою очередь, зафрахтовала их ряду компаний на Британских Виргинских островах – на первый взгляд, независимых. Однако на деле эти компании контролируются Абрамовичем. Схема для ухода от уплаты НДС на Кипре была описана в меморандуме 2005-го года с предложением «Структуры операционной деятельности» для управления яхтами Абрамовича. «Мы хотим избежать уплаты НДС на закупочную цену яхт и, по возможности, избежать уплаты НДС на товары и услуги, предоставляемые на яхтах», – написал автор меморандума Джонатан Холлоуэй, занимавший в то время пост директора Blue Ocean. Хотя Blue Ocean и компании, которые брали яхты в аренду, принадлежат трастам Абрамовича, по задумке они должны выглядеть так, будто бы они не связаны, «чтобы расследователь, проверяющий нашу деятельность, увиделлегитимную структуру», – написал Холлоуэй в документе, который он отправил одному из ближайших соратников Абрамовича. Холлоуэй предупредил, что необходимо «осознавать риски». Он написал: «Мы все должны признать, что целеустремленный расследователь может рано или поздно обнаружить, что это – внутренняя структура, со всеми вытекающими последствиями». Холлоуэй написал, что у Blue Ocean, компаний, которым Blue Ocean сдает яхты в аренду, и конечного «клиента» не должно быть одних и тех же акционеров, директоров или адресов регистрации. Это поможет избежать «связующих звеньев», которые могут вызвать подозрение. Согласно меморандуму, юрист Абрамовича согласился передать Blue Ocean совершенно отдельному трасту – судя по всему, тем самым дистанцируя Blue Ocean от других компаний. Так что компания по управлению яхтами Blue Ocean была передана от главного траста Абрамовича новому трасту Neptune Trust. То, как компании Абрамовича сдавали яхты в аренду друг другу, было «искусственной структурой», которая уклонялась от уплаты налогов, что является уголовным преступлением, рассказал Би-би-си профессор Ди Танно. «Мой вывод заключается в том, что в этом случае речь идет об уклонении от уплатыtax … because all parties know what they need to do to disclose the reality of the cases, ” he said. Tax specialist Rita de la la Feria said to the BBC, that she seemed to see the in scheme with the “If this is so, then Jonathan Holloway left the post of director Blue Ocean about 15 years ago. He told the BBC, “joined the Blue Ocean about 20 years ago and worked there relatively long.” The former director said that he managed “literally hundreds of courts from the different corner of the world.” “One cannot expect that I ll remember the individual circumstances of each vessel that has been under my management, ” Holloway said. Jurists representing Abramovich, said to the BBC, the billionaire denies “any assertions that he was knowing anything or that he was “personally involved” or responsible for The billionaire’s lawyers also said that since Abramovich had seeked professional advice on taxes and laws and followed the recommendations of experts, he expects that “those who are in charge of the day-to-day operations” of the companies involved in the scheme were in the same consultation at the appropriate time. If this were a true yacht-rental business, it could be expected to make significant profits.The Blue Ocean reports that from 2005 to 2012 the costs of the company were almost fully matched by its revenues. This means that the company didn’t need to pay tax on its profits, as the profits were very small. The document written by Director Blue Ocean, makes it suggest that the such match between expenses and income is not accidental and that the company organized charter flights when it needed to cover expenses. “At the In the leaked documents there is also evidence that the contracts for the charter could have been signed by the back number. For example, in in July 2005 year Blue Ocean allegedly contracted on a In another case the director Blue Ocean requested the signature of a backward number of the time charter, in order toreceive free supply of fuel for the 86-meter Abramovich’s Ecstasea, which can seat up to 15 people in eight cabins. This saved the billionaire 44,000 dollars on taxes. Tax consultants from the Cyprus office of Deloitte, as it appears from documents, wrote to Blue Ocean Director Jonathan Holloway, that if the vessel is used as a recreational vessel, it must pay VAT. But if the vessel is classified as commercial, then no VAT is As told BBC lawyer Benjamin Maltby, leading specialist to superyachts, the contracts which were used for charters of Abramovich’s yachts, on designed for commercial ships carrying dry cargoes, such as grain or steel. This – is one more proof that the entire commercial “image” of operations was fictional. The scheme with The scheme to lease Abramovich’s yachts has twice been under the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies, the BBC and the Bureau of Journalism investigations have learned. Richard Bridge was captain of two Abramovich yachts – Eclipse and Pelorus – for almost six years from 2006 to 2012 year. After a few years after he stopped working for Italian prosecutors have begun proceedings in against three captains Abramovic, in including Bridge, on But, as Bridge told the BBC, he contacted Blue Ocean and “their lawyers took the case.” After a few months, he was told that he had been taken to the Bridge Broadcasting Broadcasting.reported that the case is closed. According to documents from an Italian court, with the BBC, the trial has been discontinued; the BBC, the trial was dropped after the lawyers “provided documentation” proving that Pelorus “was entered into the registers as a commercial vessel, as it is used for commercial purposes or for rental.” Richard Bridge said that he did not know that Abramovich also controls the companies which leased the yachts on lease. In Cyprus, tax authorities have separately investigated Blue Ocean for Lawyers forBlueOcean statedthattherequirementtoprovidedocumentationofthe commercialuseofshipsbycompanieswhichtookthem Now,of course,we According to theappealdecision2018year,investigatorsconcludedthatBlueOceandid not providedsufficientevidencethatthe companies that leased theyachts”engaged incommercialactivities”.Sothecompany’sclaimthatthevesselswereusedforcommercialpurposeswasrejected. In the end,theauthoritiesofKiprarequestedthattheCyprusbeginsuppliedto Мы не знаем,заплатила ликомпания.ПредставителиBlueOceanне явилисьна заседаниепо их собственнойапелляциив марте2024года.Четыремесяцаспустякомпанияпрекратиласвоесуществование. CyprusConfidential – этомеждународноерасследованиетого,каккипрскиефирмыпредоставляликорпоративныеи финансовыеуслугисоратникамВладимираПутина.Проектом,запущеннымв 2023году,руководитМеждународныйконсорциумжурналистов-расследователей. Средимедиа-партнеровпроекта- британскаягазетаTheGuardian,отделрасследованийPaperTrailMedia,итальянскаягазетаL’Espresso,Центрисследованиякоррупциии организованнойпреступности(OCCRP)и Бюрожурналистскихрасследований.«Осознавать риски»
Скриншот из меморанду директора Blue Ocean, выделена фраза «Мы хотим избежать уплаты НДС» Фото: BBC
«Скрыть реальное положение дел»
Roman Abramovich on the board yacht Pelorus accompanied by two men. Photo: BBC
“Lawyers have taken the case.”
Yacht Eclipse in the sea. Photo: Getty Images