The billionaire deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, faces the prospect of an investigation over allegations that he helped wealthy Russian oligarchs evade sanctions.
Mansour, who also owns Manchester City Football Club faces the prospect of being investigated by the British foreign office on charges that he helped former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and other Russian billionaires avoid sanctions implemented over their close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The investigation, if the British government chooses to proceed with it, will likely deepen scrutiny over the UAE’s role in providing a haven to citizens of one of the world’s most sanctioned countries. According to the legal submission, Dubai has become a haven for Russian billionaires, with assets belonging to Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin have been flooded with wealth and assets. Al-Nayhan is described as being “central” to the flow of sanctioned Russian assets to the Middle Eastern State.
According to details of the submission reported by the Telegraph, the request for a Foreign Office investigation into Al-Nayhan’s alleged role in facilitating sanction evasions has been made by barristers Rhys Davies and Ben Keith, on behalf of a Ukrainian activist. They were not named for security reasons.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File
