Farhad Moshiri (68), a Monaco resident and UK citizen, faces losing his substantial investment in Everton football club as an investigation by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), the UK’s Russian sanctions police, continues, according to UK press reports.
The precedent of Chelsea’s sale does not augur well for Moshiri, who has been closely involved financially with sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. Moshiri is Chairman of USM, a diversified Russian holding company with significant interests across metals and mining, telecoms, technology and the internet sector.
Moshiri has hired a sanctions expert at one of London’s top law firms, Peters & Peters, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was prevented by the UK government from benefiting financially from the sale of the London club and it has been reported that Moshiri is in talks with a possible investor on the same terms. Moshiri has himself invested about £750 million into the Liverpool side, which has just escaped ignominious relegation from the Premier League.
However, if the Iranian-born financier loses out at Everton, he owns UK property valued at more than £100 million, including Liverpool’s landmark Royal Liver Building. According to the Sunday Times Rich List he is worth £1.6 billion, while Forbes has estimated the figure at $3.1 billion.
Peters & Peters describe themselves as specialist lawyers for heavyweight international disputes. “Clients come to us in serious situations, where reputation, livelihood and liberty are at risk,” the firm’s website claims.
FILE PHOTO: Farhad Moshiri Courtesy Goodison News