Deloitte falsified documents to evade tax on Abramovich's wealth
BBC Panorama and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have uncovered evidence that Deloitte Cyprus allegedly falsified documents to help Roman Abramovich evade taxes. The report claims that assets worth $672 million were hidden through these accounting practices, though Abramovich's legal team denies any wrongdoing.
Why it matters
This investigation highlights potential systemic failures in international accounting oversight and the role of major firms in facilitating the financial activities of sanctioned individuals.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google James Oliver , Rory Tinman , BBC Panorama , Harriet Agerholm , BBC Verify and Simon Lock , the Bureau of Investigative Journalism Watch: The documents that were falsified to allow Roman Abramovich to evade tax The world's biggest accountancy firm helped in falsifying documents to hide Roman Abramovich's wealth and evade tax, BBC Panorama has found.
Accounts signed off by Deloitte in Cyprus meant assets such as superyachts, mansions and private jets worth $672m (£508m) vanished from Abramovich's company accounts.
Deloitte also appears to have advised on a scheme to evade a huge tax bill on the oligarch's wealth through the falsification of documents.
Barrister Andrew Mitchell KC, an expert in financial services law, said Panorama's evidence showed the scheme was "straightforward" tax evasion and "it couldn't be more blatant".
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