Cyprus police investigate BBC report on Roman Abramovich's assets

On October 21, 2026, the Cypriot House Institutions Committee discussed a BBC investigation published on October 12, 2026, which alleged that billions in assets belonging to Russian businessman Roman Abramovich were concealed and transferred using Cypriot companies and professional advisers. Representatives from the police and supervisory authorities attended the hearing, although the Law Office of the Republic did not participate despite receiving an invitation.

Police officer Andreas Anastasiades informed the committee that the police had launched an ex-officio collection of information to assess whether criminal offenses were committed. He clarified that no formal investigation has been opened yet, as authorities are currently in the evaluation stage. While the events described in the report occurred several years ago, officials confirmed that the potential offenses are not time-barred, providing a legal basis for inquiry. The assessment process is estimated to take approximately six months.

Committee chairman Demetris Demetriou stated that the meeting aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of current supervisory mechanisms. Andreas Zachariades, representing the Ministry of Finance and the Public Audit Oversight Board, noted that the ministry had reached out to the entities involved following the revelations.