Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had sought to move to Switzerland but withdrew his residency bid when it looked set to be rejected, a Swiss migration official said Wednesday.
The saga surrounding the Chelsea owner's attempt to relocate to the wealthy Alpine nation was first reported by the Tribune de Geneve (TdG) newspaper, which claimed Abramovich was turned away after Swiss police claimed he posed a security risk.
Abramovich had applied for residency in Valais canton, which includes the luxury ski resort of Verbier, Jacques de Lavallaz, the head of the cantonal migration service, told AFP in an email.
Valais gave Abramovich the green light, de Lavallaz said, but federal authorities have the final say on Swiss migration decisions.
"The (federal) secretariat of migration was going to make a negative decision but Mr. Abramovich's representatives withdrew their client's application before a decision was issued," de Lavallaz said.
The migration secretariat's decision was based on an analysis conducted by Swiss federal police, de Lavallaz explained, without discussing details of their conclusions.
He stressed that the application was withdrawn before a final decision was rendered.
According to the TdG, Abramovich applied to move to Verbier in 2016. The newspaper said that police argued he was linked to "alleged money laundering and alleged contacts to criminal organisations."
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