Pictured: Lavish £8.5million Algarve villa 'belonging to sanctioned Roman Abramovich'

Pictured: Lavish £8.5million Algarve villa ‘belonging to sanctioned Roman Abramovich’ as Portugal blocks sale of six-bed mansion to British trader

  • The incredible villa is thought to belong to the oligarch and has been ‘frozen’
  • The Portuguese minster for foreign affairs confirmed the asset had been seized 
  • The oligarch has had billions of pounds in assets frozen since Russia invaded Ukraine

These are the first pictures of the £8.5million Algarve mansion believed to belong to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

The Portuguese government’s decision to block the sale of the breathtaking villa was reportedly sparked by a British trader’s bid to buy it.

Portugal’s Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho this weekend confirmed the six-bed villa on the exclusive 800 acre Quinta do Algarve residential estate had been ‘frozen’.

‘Sanctions are taken seriously by Portugal and any sanctioned individual deemed to have property or assets in Portugal will always be investigated and the assets frozen if confirmed,’ the minister said, endorsing reports an investigation was underway into the Chelsea owner’s alleged ownership of the villa through an offshore holding company.

Speaking ahead of an informal NATO meeting in Berlin, he added: ‘In this case we have the strong conviction, which is not yet full confirmation, that the property belongs to Roman Abramovich.

‘It has been frozen, which means it cannot be sold, mortgaged, or rented out for any type of financial gain.’

First pics of seized Villa suspected to be owned by Roman Abramovich in Portugal

First pics of seized Villa suspected to be owned by Roman Abramovich in Portugal

The Portuguese government's decision to block the sale of the breathtaking villa was reportedly sparked by a British trader's bid to buy it

The Portuguese government’s decision to block the sale of the breathtaking villa was reportedly sparked by a British trader’s bid to buy it

The freezing order is said to have been put in place on March 25 following an initial investigation by a Portuguese police financial unit and government officials

The freezing order is said to have been put in place on March 25 following an initial investigation by a Portuguese police financial unit and government officials

Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich has had billions of pounds' worth of assets frozen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began

 Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich has had billions of pounds’ worth of assets frozen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began

Portuguese press said the alarm was raised after a UK-based millionaire applied for a mortgage loan to buy the property as a holiday home.

The businessman has been identified locally as a Northern Irish-born trader.

Leading Portuguese newspaper Publico says the country’s second largest bank Caixa Geral de Depositos called in police after receiving the loan request in February, around a fortnight before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The newspaper has named the vendor as Millhouse Views LLC and described that company’s owner as an off-shore investment holding firm belonging to Abramovich called Millhouse LLC.

Officials have not commented on the claims.

The freezing order is said to have been put in place on March 25 following an initial investigation by a Portuguese police financial unit and government officials.

Portugal’s Foreign Minister has indicated the ongoing probe has not yet highlighted any other assets in the country linked to the Russian oligarch, although he has admitted there are difficulties in establishing the identity of the real beneficiaries of certain properties linked to offshore firms.

Last month it emerged Abramovich had more than $5.4billion worth of assets frozen in Jersey and 12 luxury properties – including a near-£100million villa that was once King Edward VIII’s holiday home – seized by the French government.

He was subjected to UK sanctions in March after ministers accused him of having ‘clear connections’ to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

The Chelsea owner’s £430million superyacht Solaris fled Barcelona Port two days before he was sanctioned by the UK government.

Last month it emerged Abramovich had more than $5.4billion worth of assets frozen in Jersey and 12 luxury properties - including a near-£100million villa that was once King Edward VIII's holiday home (pictured) - seized by the French government

Last month it emerged Abramovich had more than $5.4billion worth of assets frozen in Jersey and 12 luxury properties – including a near-£100million villa that was once King Edward VIII’s holiday home (pictured) – seized by the French government

Abramovich spent some £30million restoring the chateau in the South of France after he bought it in 2001, building a 15 metre swimming pool on the roof and inserting a huge gym and home cinema in the basement to create the ultimate billionaire's play pad

Abramovich spent some £30million restoring the chateau in the South of France after he bought it in 2001, building a 15 metre swimming pool on the roof and inserting a huge gym and home cinema in the basement to create the ultimate billionaire’s play pad

Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Britain, 05 April 2022. Abramovich put the club up for sale in the wake of sanctions and it is expected to be bought by American billionaire Todd Boelhy

Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Britain, 05 April 2022. Abramovich put the club up for sale in the wake of sanctions and it is expected to be bought by American billionaire Todd Boelhy

It later emerged a Lithuanian activist had tried to attack the oligarch’s 460ft luxury vessel before it left for a safe haven in a protest against Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea football club meanwhile is set to be taken over by American billionaire Todd Boelhy.

The mogul and his consortium signed an agreement to buy Saturday’s FA Cup final losers in a deal reportedly worth around £4.25billion.

Chelsea have confirmed Boehly met with manager Thomas Tuchel and the squad last Thursday at the club’s training ground.

Abramovich was granted Portuguese citizenship in April 2021 based on a law offering naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula during the Inquisition.

It is one of many cases currently under criminal investigation in Portugal in a probe which led to the arrest in March of the Rabbi accused of helping the Russian billionaire gain citizenship.

source: dailymail.co.uk