Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister, has been asked by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to investigate whether he assisted wealthy Russians it has sanctioned in moving their assets to the United Arab Emirates.
Lawyers acting on behalf of a Ukrainian activist, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals from Russia, have written to Cleverly to ask whether investigations have been carried out to determine whether Mansour should be identified as a ‘designated person’ subject to financial sanctions.
If HE is designated as an individual subject to Government sanctions, it would disqualify him as an owner under the Premier League’s updated rules on its owners’ and directors’ test published in March.
The UK Government has said more than 1,800 individuals have been sanctioned under the regulations, with more than 1,600 of those sanctioned under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This number includes former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, whose assets, including Chelsea, were frozen, with a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly taking over last summer.
The request for an update on Sheikh Mansour follows an initial letter from the lawyers, Rhys Davies of Temple Garden Chambers and Ben Keith from 5, St Andrew’s Hill Chambers, on behalf of their client which was sent to Cleverly in September last year.
The new letter has been sent as the UAE prepares to host the COP28 climate change conference between November 30 and December 12, noting that Sheikh Mansour is likely to play a “visible role” in the event.
“The bloodshed caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, and many Russian oligarchs appear to have found a home for their wealth in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi being particularly attractive to those individuals.”
