RESIDENCY PERMIT DENIED
Swiss court denied Abramovich's residency permit over 'criminal syndicate' concerns
Geneva — Switzerland’s top court lifted reporting restrictions on the reasons for Roman Abramovich’s failed bid for residency in the Alpine nation, rejecting the Russian billionaire’s claims that disclosure would damage his reputation. The judges cited concerns raised by Swiss police that Abramovich was "suspected of money laundering" and had "presumed contacts with criminal organisations," according to the text of the September 21 decision released on Tuesday. The owner of London’s Chelsea Football Club was seeking to keep the comments out of the public. These would make his residency in the country "a threat for public safety" and also "a reputational risk for Switzerland," according to the document. Abramovich, through his lawyer, denies the allegations made by the Swiss authorities. Abramovich applied for residency in Switzerland in 2017 only to withdraw the application in mid-2017 after it ran into difficulties. The reasons he dropped the request remained a mystery, in part bec...
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