Abramovich sworn in again as regional governor
Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea football club, was sworn in today for a new five-year term as governor of the Russian Far East region of Chukotka.
Before the ceremony, the regional legislature voted to confirm Abramovich’s appointment, which Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed.
Abramovich acquired vast oil holdings in privatisation deals in the 1990s. But unlike his fellow Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for tax evasion and fraud, Abramovich is thought to show unswerving loyalty to the Kremlin.
State-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom has announced it will buy Sibneft, the oil company Abramovich controls, for $13bn (€10.8bn).
