A scandal involving sanctions against Russia has erupted in Portugal. The publication Público, which has obtained access to prosecutorial data, has stated that the Lisbon-based football club Casa Pia (Casa Pia Atlético Clube) intentionally participated in a scheme to conceal the origin of the money in order to circumvent the European Union’s sanctions against Russia.
The publication has clarified that Casa Pia received over a million euros from the Russian club Akhmat, which is owned by Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, for the transfer of the player Felipppe Cardoso.
Casa Pia has since issued a statement stating that the transfer of Felippe Cardoso to Akhmat FC was carried out legally. The football club has clarified that the payment for the player’s transfer was made through a third-party company due to the restrictions imposed on the Russian financial system.
Casa Pia has assured that this decision was not intended to circumvent the sanctions imposed by the European Union or to conceal the transaction. On the contrary, it was a choice made to ensure the fulfillment of a legitimate contract in a situation where Russian banks have been largely excluded from international payment systems.
Akhmat FC is not an organization subject to European Union sanctions, and from Casa Pia’s perspective, there is no indication that it is controlled by any individual subject to European restrictive measures.
Moreover, Casa Pia was unaware of the alleged connection that the prosecutor’s office has established between the aforementioned club and Ramzan Kadyrov. Additionally, it has been established that Ramzan Kadyrov does not appear in any official corporate documents of Akhmat FC as an owner.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was added to the European Union’s sanctions list in July 2014. Later, the European Union imposed sanctions on Kadyrov’s daughters and his mother.
Ramzan Kadyrov has been in charge of the Chechen Republic, which is part of Russia, since 2011. He is one of the main supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
