Italy police seize assets from architect linked to ‘Putin’s palace’
- Helicopter, luxury properties, cash, jewels and art were among the items seized by Italy’s tax police
- Architect Lanfranco Cirillo designed Russian luxury estate on the Black Sea dubbed ‘Putin’s palace’
Italy’s tax police have seized assets worth over €141 million (US$144 million) from an architect who designed a luxury estate on the Black Sea which has been dubbed “Putin’s palace” by opponents of the Russian president.
The tax police sent a statement on Wednesday saying it had seized the assets from a “well-known professional” in Brescia, a town in northern Italy, citing alleged tax offences.
A lawyer for Cirillo confirmed that his client’s assets had been seized but said he was not guilty of any wrongdoing regarding Italian taxes, adding he had based himself in Russia for many years and been granted Russian citizenship in 2014.
“The architect, who is in Moscow, is very disappointed by the fact that having bought some prestigious properties and works of art in Italy, and having provided for his wife and daughter are used to argue that he faked his move abroad,” lawyer Stefano Lojacono said in a statement.
A helicopter, luxury properties, cash, jewels and important works of art were among the items seized, according to the tax police in Brescia.