REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman said on Tuesday Britain's sanctions office wrongly stopped him spending thousands of pounds a month on the upkeep of his multimillion-pound London mansion containing a sizeable art collection. It refused to allow Fridman to spend 1,850 pounds a month on communications systems, which Fridman says regulate the telephones, IT, lighting, heating and security at Athlone House. OFSI also said that staff payments were not necessary but designed to allow Fridman to continue to enjoy his pre-sanctions lifestyle. Its lawyer Malcolm Birdling said OFSI already allowed Fridman to spend 26,000 pounds a month on security staff and the maintenance of a CCTV system. Athlone House was raided by Britain's National Crime Agency in December, which is the subject of a separate legal challenge by Fridman.

Source: Forbes October 17, 2023 13:30 UTC