A BBC investigation has uncovered new evidence about the corrupt deals that made Roman Abramovich's fortune.
The Chelsea owner made billions after buying an oil company from the Russian government in a rigged auction in 1995.
Mr Abramovich paid around $250m (£190m) for Sibneft, before selling it back to the Russian government for $13bn in 2005.
His lawyers say there is no basis for alleging he has amassed very substantial wealth through criminality.
The Russian billionaire was sanctioned by the UK government last week because of his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Abramovich's assets have been frozen and he has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea Football Club.
The Russian billionaire has already admitted in a UK court that he made corrupt payments to help get the Sibneft deal off the ground.
He was being sued in London by his former business associate Boris Berezovsky in 2012.
Mr Abramovich won the case, but he described in court how the original Sibneft auction was rigged in his favour and how he gave Mr Berezovsky $10m to pay off a Kremlin official.
BBC Panorama has obtained a document that is thought to have been smuggled out of Russia.
The information was given to the programme by a confidential source, who says it was secretly copied from files held on Mr Abramovich by Russian law enforcement agencies.
The BBC cannot verify that, but checks with other sources in Russia have backed up many of the details in the five-page document.
The document says that the Russian government was cheated out of $2.7bn in the Sibneft deal - a claim supported by a 1997 Russian parliamentary investigation. The document also says that the Russian authorities wanted to charge Mr Abramovich with fraud.
It says: "The Dept. of Economic Crimes investigators came to the conclusion that if Abramovich could be brought to trial he would have faced accusations of fraud… by an organised criminal group."
Panorama tracked down Russia's former chief prosecutor, who investigated the deal in the 1990s.
Yuri Skuratov did not know about the secret document, but he independently confirmed many of the details about the Sibneft sale.
Mr Skuratov told the programme: "Basically, it was a fraudulent scheme, where those who took part in the privatisation formed one criminal group that allowed Abramovich and Berezovsky to trick the government and not pay the money that this company was really worth."
The document also suggests Mr Abramovich was protected by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
It says law enforcement files on Mr Abramovich were moved to the Kremlin and that an investigation by Mr Skuratov was stopped by the president.
The document says: "Skuratov was preparing a criminal case for the confiscation of Sibneft on the basis of the investigation of its privatisation. The investigation was stopped by President Yeltsin … Skuratov was dismissed from his office."
Mr Skuratov was sacked after the release of a s3x tape in 1999. He says it was a stitch-up to discredit him and his investigation.
He said: "This whole thing was obviously political, because in my investigations I came very close to the family of Boris Yeltsin, including via this investigation of the Sibneft privatisation."
Mr Abramovich remained in the Kremlin inner circle when Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000.
The document contains details of another rigged auction two years later, involving a Russian oil company called Slavneft.
Mr Abramovich formed a partnership with another firm to buy Slavneft, but a rival Chinese company was planning to bid almost twice as much.
Many powerful people - from the Kremlin to the Russian parliament - would have stood to lose out if the Chinese won the auction
The document says that a member of the Chinese delegation was kidnapped when they arrived in Moscow for the auction.
"CNPC, Chinese company, a very strong competitor, had to withdraw from the auction after one of its representatives was kidnapped upon arrival at Moscow Airport and was released only after the company declared its withdrawal."
The kidnapping story is backed up by independent sources who did not know about the document.....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60736185
Watch Panorama
Roman Abramovich's Dirty Money is on BBC One, Monday 14 March, at 20:00 GMT and on BBCiPlayer afterwards
New evidence of corrupt Roman deals
posted on 15/3/22
comment by Anthony The King Elanga (U10026)
posted 5 hours, 17 minutes ago
Are you honestly going to deny the defence of Abramovich the last 20 years?
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abramovichs best defence was JT and Ricky no need for tanks nothing got past them....15 goals against in a season
JT from acadamy free
AC from arsenl 5 mill + gallas (hahahahah)
Ricky cost 18 mill + addons
Paulo F cost 11.5mill + add ons
Abramovichs best defence cost less than35 mill, what buyers we have.
posted on 15/3/22
I didn't realise sportswashing was so powerful until seeing the mental gymnastics and whataboutery Chelsea fans display in trying to defend a Russian billionaire criminal, just because he bought their football club
posted on 15/3/22
comment by BrummieBlue! (U3487)
posted 15 hours, 46 minutes ago
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by BrummieBlue! (U3487)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 31 minutes ago
It’s a shame it took the genocide of innocent civilians for Abramovich to be exposed. We knew all this 19 years ago.
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We all knew this !!!!
Prey tell how you knew 19 years ago!
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🤦♂️ Everyone knew from day one that he was a shady character. Lol @ you if you didn’t.
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You're nothing but a two bit liar, you didn't even know who Roman Abramovic was 19 years ago.
You're just fuelled in your hatred and jealousy of Chelsea because your own club has been cast into the wilderness ever since.
Had it not been for corruption in football, the club you support would have ceased to exist 110 years ago!
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My goodness! The state of Chelsea fans.
posted on 15/3/22
comment by Randomer (U5245)
posted 14 hours, 46 minutes ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 18 minutes ago
comment by BrummieBlue! (U3487)
posted 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by BrummieBlue! (U3487)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 31 minutes ago
It’s a shame it took the genocide of innocent civilians for Abramovich to be exposed. We knew all this 19 years ago.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We all knew this !!!!
Prey tell how you knew 19 years ago!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
🤦♂️ Everyone knew from day one that he was a shady character. Lol @ you if you didn’t.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You're nothing but a two bit liar, you didn't even know who Roman Abramovic was 19 years ago.
You're just fuelled in your hatred and jealousy of Chelsea because your own club has been cast into the wilderness ever since.
Had it not been for corruption in football, the club you support would have ceased to exist 110 years ago!
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Love how Chelsea fans try to counter modern investigative journalism with speculation from over 100 years ago.
#justthesame
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Can’t wait until 100 years pass so I can act like none of this Putin stuff ever happened
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posted on 15/3/22
Chelsea demand the Boro game is behind closed doors. They know nothing of morality, Boro would lose a fortune if this happens. Shameful by Chelsea.
posted on 15/3/22
Are your lives that boring?
Really cant understand the hate, when people are dying.
Please show me a clean billionaire or even millionaire and I'll guarantee you entry into heaven.
Seriously some of you will still be coming after Chelsea if this baseless war escalates.
Never seen an article about Chelsea where 99% of those commenting are haters agreeing with themselves.
Proud of you Chelsea fans for leaving the poo to the dogs.
Enjoy while it last. Sad people
posted on 15/3/22
comment by Culèr - LFC For The Quad 2022 (U9489)
posted 5 hours, 10 minutes ago
Chelsea demand the Boro game is behind closed doors. They know nothing of morality, Boro would lose a fortune if this happens. Shameful by Chelsea.
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Apparently in the name of sporting integrity
posted on 15/3/22
comment by BoomOdman (U10541)
posted 4 hours, 6 minutes ago
Are your lives that boring?
Really cant understand the hate, when people are dying.
Please show me a clean billionaire or even millionaire and I'll guarantee you entry into heaven.
Seriously some of you will still be coming after Chelsea if this baseless war escalates.
Never seen an article about Chelsea where 99% of those commenting are haters agreeing with themselves.
Proud of you Chelsea fans for leaving the poo to the dogs.
Enjoy while it last. Sad people
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's really not a fair reflection of this article is it?
posted on 15/3/22
There is nothing new in Panorama. All it “revealed” was known by our Gov when he turned up here. I read a book about him in 2006. No surprises and it took a war for this Gov to kick him out. If Putin didn’t invade Boris would still be taking donations. Let’s get this right.
posted on 16/3/22
What a perfect timing for the results of an "investigation"