With Roman Abramovich facing several sanctions in the United Kingdom, including those at Chelsea, things haven’t been going well for him in other countries either.
It’s been a couple of months since the Portuguese public ministry announced they were investigating the Portuguese passport given to the businessman last year.
Now, as reported by RTP, that process will have the help from the Union of Registry and Notary Workers, who announced they’re joining the process and requesting an urgent hearing.
Abramovich was granted Portuguese nationality through the national law which benefits Sephardic Jews. RTP explain: ‘Sephardic Jews are Jews from the Iberian Peninsula expelled from Portugal in the 16th century.’
The passport automatically makes him a citizen in the European Union.
In the past few months, however, the local government found irregularities in the process. That led to the arrest of Rabin Daniel Litvak, leader of Jewish Community of Porto, accused of illegalities in issuing nationality certificates.
Even though the process was supposed to be concluded in February, the investigation is on, now getting more help from the Institute of Registries and Notaries. Abramovich is suspected of not having Sephardic heritage and therefore not being entitled to the benefit of Portuguese nationality.
So, on top of the sanctions at Chelsea, and the process of selling the Stamford Bridge club, he’s got a growing issue to face in Portugal.
