Deloitte Linked to Tax Evasion Scheme for Abramovich

Deloitte, the world’s largest accountancy firm, helped falsify documents to conceal Roman Abramovich’s wealth and evade tax, according to a BBC Panorama investigation ^[1]. The probe uncovered that Deloitte Cyprus signed off on backdated paperwork in 2006, removing $672m in assets—including superyachts, mansions, and private jets—from Abramovich’s Cypriot company, Amiscan Investments. The assets were transferred to a British Virgin Islands parent company, with the change retroactively dated to 2003 to bypass Cyprus’s new transparency law.

The documents, part of a leak from MeritServus, a Cypriot corporate services firm once owned by Deloitte, show that the firm reviewed and approved the falsified records despite knowing they were misleading ^[1]. Lord Sikka, professor of accounting at the University of Sheffield, called the actions a "violation of a statutory duty" and "pretty scandalous".

The investigation also uncovered a tax evasion scheme involving Kravin Investments, which held nearly $2bn in 2003. Despite earning significant interest, Abramovich’s company avoided tax by backdating asset transfers and altering records, with MeritServus emails showing the plan was executed in 2005 ^[1].

Abramovich’s lawyers deny any wrongdoing, stating he did not know about, authorise, or direct the falsification of documents and that he relied on professional advice ^[1]. Deloitte Cyprus said it "acts in compliance with applicable laws".

The findings are part of a wider investigation by BBC Panorama and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, linked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ Cyprus Confidential project ^[1]. The probe follows earlier revelations about Abramovich’s alleged corrupt oil deal in the 1990s and his frozen £5.4bn in Jersey.

Panorama’s report airs on BBC One on 12 October 2026 ^[1].