French justice has seized a villa worth around 120 million euros on the Côte d'Azur of which the Russian gas giant Gazprom is said to be "the beneficial owner", as part of an investigation for money laundering, indicated Monday the Paris prosecutor's office, confirming information from Le Monde.
The specialized interregional economic and financial jurisdiction of the Paris public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for aggravated money laundering for acts committed since December 11, 2009, in Paris, Cyprus, Russia, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Alpes-Maritimes), concerning the "Villa del Mare”, which became the “Villa Irina Maria”.
Created in 2009, the company Maritime Villa Holding acquired this villa for 70 million euros in 2010 – its current value is estimated at around 120 million euros.
Through the companies Subville Sarl and Leyson Holdings Limited, the beneficiary of this acquisition was the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, reports the prosecution.
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“Elements suggest that the successive acquisition plans for the villa were made in the name of different companies, whose indirect owners would amount to making the company Gazprom the effective beneficiary,” continues the same source.
On February 12, in accordance with the prosecution's requisitions, the villa and the shares of the company owning the Villa, SNC Maritime Villa Holding, were seized.
Other open investigations
The Paris prosecutor's office has opened other investigations into the conditions of acquisition and financing of property that may belong to Russian businessmen.
Justice thus seized real estate from Alexander Pumpyansky: company shares, and debts relating to two wine estates, in Hérault and Jura, as well as various building plots and real estate, including a chalet. in Haute-Savoie, for a total amount estimated to date at around 35 million euros.
In another investigation, a luxury chalet in Courchevel (Savoie), valued at 24 million euros, was also seized in September 2023. In each of these files, investigations are continuing.