ROME: According to a source acquainted with the situation, Italy’s tax authorities seized assets worth more than 141 million euros ($144 million) from an architect associated to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The tax police issued a statement earlier on Wednesday, claiming that they had confiscated the assets of a “well-known professional” in Brescia, a town in northern Italy, for alleged tax violations. When approached by Reuters, the company declined to name the individual.
The assets belonged to Lanfranco Cirillo, who created a spectacular mansion on Russia’s Black Sea that became known as “Putin’s palace” when a businessman claimed it was built for Putin.
The Russian president has previously denied any connection to the luxurious home.
When contacted by Reuters, Cirillo’s lawyer did not react.
Cirillo told Italian television earlier this year that he designed the building but that it was commissioned by a private firm and that he had no dealings with Putin.
Source: Reuters