Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is link between Alisher Usmanov and disputed luxury properties
Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is the link between Alisher Usmanov and a number of luxury properties involved in a sanctions dispute, the BBC reports.
The billionaire reportedly claims he no longer owns a pair of multi-million pound mansions, putting them outside the scope of sanctions placed on him by the British government due to his links to Vladimir Putin amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Toffees have already suspended all sponsorship ties with the Russian businessman, but questions continue over his complicated relationship with the club’s owner.
The BBC investigation centres around Beechwood House in Highgate, and the Sutton Place estate in Surrey, which Usmanov claims were transferred to trusts before sanctions were applied, with the report explaining that the “complex web of trusts and companies registered in places like the British Virgin Islands” makes it “extremely difficult” to determine ownership, which is now “a mystery”.
It says that “leaked documents” identify Moshiri as involved with two trust which have owned the properties, and that Usmanov was a beneficiary of, although a spokesman for the Toffees owner denies he is now involved in either.
Two other highly expensive properties were uncovered as being transferred from the Uzbek-born Russian to the British-Iranian, including one that moved “not for money”.
The BBC report says: “Asked why Mr Usmanov had handed the property to Mr Moshiri “not for money” Mr Moshiri’s spokesman declined to comment.
A spokesman for Mr Usmanov said that “to characterise the source of his money as ‘non-transparent’ is inherently incorrect and damages Mr Usmanov’s reputation as an honest entrepreneur and philanthropist.”
Not going away
The Everton owner is not under any government sanctions, but this issue looks to be lingering despite the club’s move to cut ties with Usmanov.
The loss of sponsorship is part of a financial quagmire that the club is currently in that is almost as complicated as the arrangements involving the properties in this investigation.
None of the information that continues to leak out regarding the arrangements between the pair are likely to endear Moshiri to fans.
January saw vociferous protests against his ownership from supporters angry about mismanagement of the club.
The Toffees are seeking new investment to replace what it lost from Usmanov, but with Frank Lampard’s side still teetering on the brink of relegation, that appears to be easier said than done currently.
What the future holds is unclear, but dropping out of the Premier League will surely mean financial disaster considering the current situation.
In other Everton news, Glen Johnson has named one Toffee as the “worst signing of the season”.
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