France has seized a luxury villa believed to be owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom as part of a money laundering investigation. The Paris public prosecutor’s office announced this on Monday. With an estimated value of around 120 million euros, Villa Maria Irina – formerly known as Villa del Mare – is one of the most opulent villas on the French Riviera.
The Paris prosecutor’s office explained that the acquisition of the villa in the names of several companies was probably intended to conceal the real profiteer, Gazprom. On February 12, the villa and the shares of the owner’s company were seized.
According to French daily Le Monde, this is the largest seizure by French authorities since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which led to several rounds of sanctions against Moscow in the West. According to prosecutors, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who bought the villa in 2010, acted in Gazprom’s interests. (sda/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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