JERSEY is at the centre of an escalating diplomatic incident over Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s frozen assets held in the Island, with a senior UK politician alleging a conflict of interest at the heart of the Shadow Cabinet.
And it is feared that the ongoing court case – in which Mr Abramovich has accused the Island’s government of a conspiracy – is blocking the release of funds to support the victims of the war in Ukraine.
UK Justice Minister Jake Richards has written a strongly-worded letter to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, demanding answers over the role of her Shadow Attorney General, Lord David Wolfson KC, in Jersey legal proceedings connected to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Lord Wolfson is part of the legal team representing Mr Abramovich as he attempts to recover more than £5.3 billion of assets frozen in the Island, with Mr Richards arguing this makes him “clearly compromised”.
It comes as it was confirmed that Mr Abramovich was given his Jersey housing qualifications in 2017 following sign off by then-Chief Minister Ian Gorst, who is now External Relations Minister.
The court case centre on the Russian’s allegations that Jersey’s ministers and law enforcement agencies are guilty of “politically-motivated” misconduct, “unlawful overreach” and a series of breaches of judicial procedure over a four-year criminal investigation that has yet to produce a charge.
UK government ministers have said that the Jersey case is delaying the release of over £2.35 billion from Mr Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea Football Club, which the former owner pledged to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
In a letter published this week, Mr Richards, who has political responsibility for the Crown Dependencies in Westminster, said that Mr Abramovich’s legal position is that the funds cannot be transferred until the end of the Jersey court case in which Lord Wolfson is acting as part of Mr Abramovich’s legal team.
That, he said, places the Shadow Attorney General in an “clearly compromised” position.
“As Shadow Attorney General, Lord Wolfson has a crucial role in formulating Conservative Party policy,” he wrote.
“As a paid representative of Mr Abramovich, he has a financial interest in the question of whether and when Mr Abramovich’s assets are transferred to benefit the people of Ukraine.”
Mr Richards’ letter asks Mrs Badenoch whether she considers it to be “acceptable for a member of the Shadow Cabinet to have a financial interest in a case with a direct bearing on a government, and therefore opposition, policy”.
While acknowledging the “cab rank rule” requiring barristers to take cases regardless of their clients, the Justice Minister added: “It cannot remove conflicts of interest, or eliminate the responsibility of politicians to avoid such conflicts.”
He concluded that Lord Wolfson should either quit the Shadow Cabinet or leave Mr Abramovich’s legal team.
“It is for him to decide, and for you to decide, which of these roles is more important,” said Mr Richards.
It comes just one month after a spokesperson for Mr Abramovich told the JEP that Jersey had “illegitimately” targeted the billionaire in an bid to improve Jersey’s reputation as a financial centre after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – despite the Island previously “encouraging Russian wealth to move to the Island”.
The spokesperson said Mr Abramovich was “lawfully” granted Jersey residency after passing a “strict, multi-agency vetting process” coordinated with the UK government, during which “Jersey itself confirmed the legitimacy of his funds and investments”.
The JEP has now seen a letter sent to Mr Abramovich in 2017 by Jersey’s then-director of high-value residency Kevin Lemasney welcoming the tycoon and inviting him to deepen his ties with the Island.
Addressing Mr Abramovich as Mr Amramovich in the letter, Mr Lemasney wrote: “It would be a pleasure to see you again when you are next in Jersey.” He added that the pair could “meet for lunch and discuss the soft landing in Jersey”.
In the letter, Mr Lemasney also confirmed that the Island’s then-Chief Minister, Ian Gorst – now Jersey’s External Relations Minister – had personally approved Mr Abramovich’s residency application.
“It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that, having regard for the submission made, and in light of the Comptroller of Tax’s acceptance that the required financial limits will be met, the Chief Minister accepts that you may be granted residency entitlement under this Regulation,” he wrote.
It also emerged earlier this year that Jersey’s government had opened itself up to accusations of conspiracy and bad faith from Mr Abramovich after deleting data related to a criminal investigation brought against the tycoon.
A spokesperson for the Government of Jersey has previously denied the conspiracy accusation.
They said: “The Government of Jersey is aware of recent media reports concerning ongoing legal proceedings involving Mr Roman Abramovich. We respect the independence of the courts and the integrity of the legal process, and we will continue to defend our position vigorously.
“We categorically reject allegations of conspiracy, misfeasance in public office, or bad faith. These claims are entirely without foundation and will be addressed through the appropriate legal channels.
“The Government of Jersey has consistently supported the principle of open justice and opposed Mr Abramovich’s application to the Privy Council for the case to be heard in private.
“However, as proceedings remain active, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
