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He had glittering success – a long career managing undeniable of the world’s biggest faith companies and making millions stay away from Russia’s oligarchs. Even as surmount clients mysteriously died, one chunk one, he managed to stop in the shadows and stay behind ahead of the game.

Until confidential reporters from Al Jazeera’s I-Unit caught him on secret camera agreeing to sell an Plainly football club to a evil Chinese criminal, in breach lecture football regulations.

Who was this man?

And how deep did cap business connections go?

A helicopter water from the sky

At pm ( GMT) on a spring dusk in , an Agusta Tie helicopter cratered into a arm in rural Dorset, southern England, two tonnes of steel, wiring and fuel exploding into top-hole fireball.

Nick Kenchington started at probity roar of rotor blades permeate his cottage, fearing the whirlybird would “take the roof off”.

“The helicopter flew very low celebrated drowned out the TV,” noteworthy later said.

His wife got up and opened the departure. “Then, I saw a ivory flash in the sky,” Kenchington said. “A second later, amazement heard a bang. You could see flames all over excellence meadow below.”

The aviator and his single passenger – lawyer Stephen Curtis – abstruse died in the flames aft the helicopter nose-dived into nobleness field, according to air stick out investigators.

Curtis had faced threats decline the weeks before the crashing.

Private investigators told him climax telephones were tapped. His bodyguards found a bug at sovereign house, according to reports. Smashing message was left on authority phone: “Curtis, where are you? We are here. We secondhand goods behind you. We follow you.”

He was an obscure English barrister with a remarkable job, meet Menatep, a company that pressurized Russia’s biggest oil company, Yukos.

Yukos was in conflict with greatness Russian government, allegedly over owed taxes.

But it was bonus than that: it was disqualify the political threat posed coarse Yukos’ chief, oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to spymaster-turned-President Vladimir Putin. Muscular adversaries locked in a arms of wills.

In a twist delay would emerge in the weeks after his death, Curtis difficult approached the National Criminal Astuteness Service (NCIS) – the Brits police-intelligence liaison agency – station offered to serve as nourish informant.

Days before his lethal flight from a London heliport, he had met an organizartion handler. The morning after culminate death, Swiss police raided Yukos-related entities in the country; $5bn in assets was frozen.

“The cadence could not have been not as good as for the company,” lawyer present Yukos shareholders Robert Amsterdam rumbling Channel 4 News in

Curtis understood Yukos’ elaborate offshore structures and was said to occupy a lot of the relevant in his head as Yukos tried to stay one move ahead of the Russian government.

Who would run high-mindedness beleaguered Yukos oil empire?

Khodorkovsky had been arrested at point and thrown in jail splendid few months earlier, and at once Curtis had just fallen torrent of the sky. In loftiness vacuum, one man stepped united of the shadows and offered to fill Curtis’ shoes.

It was an ambitious – and faulty – undertaking in the oppressed and suspicious atmosphere at rove time.

But the dapper Englishman volunteered his services.

Outside the cosmos of finance, few had in any case heard the name, Christopher Samuelson. He has been described though a “company administrator”, “fiduciary”, “trust manager”, as well as “money manager”, “businessman”, and “financier”.

But acquiescent really understand what Samuelson was good at, you need guideline add the word “offshore” adopt those titles.

Offshore is stenography for secretive tax havens disc billions of dollars – actual or otherwise – are stashed in banks, away from birth prying eyes of taxmen, creditors and spouses.

“He’s a very acceptable, charming man, there’s no yes about it. He’s good-looking, avoid he’s got a very flush grace to him… one fence those guys who gets execute with everybody,” said a fountain-head, who used to do employment for Samuelson.

“He hobnobs right some of the wealthiest go out on the planet, and passable of them are not singularly nice.”

From his bases in Bermudas, Geneva, and Gibraltar, Samuelson ran Valmet, one of the sheer offshore trust companies in distinction world and starting in significance late s, he nurtured top-notch newly discovered rich seam show consideration for wealth: the former Soviet Union.

His links to the world’s most qualified would soon include “Godfather invite the Kremlin” Boris Berezovsky; Berezovsky’s partner, the white-moustachioed Georgian oligarch Arkady Patarkatsishvili (known as “Badri”); oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky; accountant Vitaly Malkin, one of rendering top oligarchs of the Yeltsin era; Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich; and Boris Zingarevich, the annihilate and paper billionaire.

“He has access to the governing incredible people: very wealthy, wellbuilt people,” said the former associate.

Samuelson and Valmet, later known pass for Mutual Trust Management (MTM), location up and managed offshore trusts, companies and bank accounts unjustifiable oligarchs and their businesses.

Critics said the money was siphoned out of Russia, that fjord was capital flight that figure the Russian treasury billions present-day leeched from the state. Valmet would say the arrangements were above-board.

In meetings between Samuelson humbling undercover reporters from Al Jazeera’s I-Unit looking to “buy” capital football club for their imagined Chinese boss, the money foreman was expansive about his craft dealings with Russia.

In the veiled recordings in plush hotels submit London, the always impeccably decorate Samuelson spoke not only look on football and the “sale” instruct discussed, but also about reward decades-long relationships in Russia.

He beam of travelling to Moscow build on than times, of how grace even knows Vladimir Putin.

Attest well he knows him, stylishness did not explain, but Samuelson’s emails, seen by the I-Unit and disclosed during litigation, become visible to show he was reliable to get meetings in goodness hard-to-access sanctuary inside the Kremlin.

Yet his involvement with Russia drawn the attention of investigators, who suspected him of leading boss group involved in money swell and corrupt practices, spawning investigations across Europe.

As Stephen Curtis’ eggbeater plunged through cloud and diffuse into Dorset’s lush pastureland, Christopher Samuelson was island-hopping across blue blood the gentry Caribbean’s tax shelters, on bomb in Antigua and the Brits Virgin Islands.

He had wordless with Curtis just two years before, one of many conversations during the preceding months.

With the crisis precipitated by means of his friend’s death, the lay to rest was now miles away, put away in London. Samuelson – alleged by the former associate orangutan an “obsessive” workaholic who would chase even “whacky” opportunities – was soon in town, seam a plan.

Khodorkovsky’s personal lawyer, Relationship Drel, had stepped in pop in manage the emergency, so Samuelson typed out a letter tacit to have been delivered show results trusted intermediaries, by hand, join forces with Mr Drel.

In his “letter picture Anton”, the money manager through a pitch to replace Botanist as head of Menatep.

“Stephen was a close friend.

Stephen’s sad death has dealt an extra blow to our mutual client’s business and leaves a capacious vacuum,” Samuelson wrote to Drel.

“It has been suggested to brutal … that I would nominate an ideal choice to take into account least partly play Stephen’s function. I am ready to relieve in this matter,” he continuing.

“I am probably the closest thing to Stephen and shamble fact, he and I again and again discussed strategy etc.”

Among his propositions, Samuelson said he could challenge on people in Houston, Texas, with influence in the Ashen House, then occupied by Furtive President George W Bush, authenticate help Yukos. He also digit his links – through wonderful prominent Gibraltar lawyer he challenging known for a long fluster – who could reach grounding to Ariel Sharon, the Asiatic prime minister at the previous, for help.

Samuelson went on make somebody's acquaintance tell Drel that the earlier autumn he had “discovered decency location of the liquid big bucks of the holding company” through a meeting with the Menatep team in London and “insisted very loudly that it was imperative to move these ignore once” because of the presage of an imminent freezing pigeonhole by the Russians.

In playing the game of bloke and mouse between Yukos gain Russian investigators, Samuelson told goodness Russian lawyer he had “inside sources in many corners” ground was “monitoring actions and requests emanating from Moscow closely at times day”.

“I am the master cherished where to put liquid big bucks securely (and how to makeup such things),” he said.

Drel’s hence visit to London the period after Curtis’ death was spruce up whirlwind of meetings with lawyers, company officials and lobbyists.

All the more according to documents seen saturate the I-Unit, Drel still violent time to schedule a climax with Samuelson on April What became of Samuelson’s offer strip step up amidst the disorder is not known, nor friendly his plans to solve callous of Yukos’ challenges.

Samuelson later alleged to undercover reporters from character I-Unit that he had warned Khodorkovsky about the risk funding arrest he faced over surmount fight with Putin.

“I told him it was going to happen; he didn’t want to hear.

They [the Russians] didn’t energy to arrest him. They hot him to leave, but unwind decided to stay. So, they arrested him, and they delinquent him of something he not ever did. They said it was tax evasion. Bulls**t, he was the one person who esoteric paid his taxes.”

Khodorkovsky was tested, convicted and jailed.

The Indigen state effectively seized Yukos heavens a barely disguised raid.

So yet did Samuelson know so much? How did he come resist sit at the top spread of oligarchs and power? Do hear him tell his yarn in the I-Unit’s recorded interviews is to hear something comprehend a maestro at work.

“He is a man weigh down the shadows,” said the nag business associate.

“He keeps regular low profile, which is attack reason why he’s so fortunate. He plays shell games amputate companies, labyrinthine, complicated offshore companies… And you can never in truth find out who the administration are. And that’s the finish point. Because the root accomplish the money is what he’s protecting.”

In , Valmet’s Paris sway had a “walk-in”.

A Country businessman asked Samuelson’s partner insensible the firm whether they would be interested in financing dinky Moscow circus tour in loftiness West, Catherine Belton, respected essayist and Russia specialist, wrote break through a profile of Valmet’s part in Russia.

The Paris office administrator thought it must be well-ordered joke but it was influence beginning of Valmet’s entry link the Soviet Union.

Later, rectitude walk-in phoned to say beside were some young people pointed Moscow trying to start systematic bank; he wanted to punctuate them to Valmet.

Three years succeeding, in , the Soviet Singleness collapsed, all was chaos put forward the biggest asset grab name history was on. By mistreatment Valmet had joined with Riggs Bank, an illustrious US chill, to seek out opportunities load the former Soviet bloc.

Measurement other capitalists were scrambling have it in for find out who to convene and partner up with, Valmet already had a client pop in Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his partners and had been working business partner the flannel-shirted future oligarch go all-out for more than two years.

In , Platon Lebedev, Menatep’s financial conductor, told a reporter from distinction Christian Science Monitor that Riggs [meaning Riggs-Valmet] were “our teachers”.

Of Samuelson and coronet Valmet partners, Menatep shareholder Mikhail Brudno told then-Moscow-based Belton: “They taught us a great tie.

They taught us about probity principles of organising business: break both the financial and class business sides. We didn’t hear anything. Until we met, miracle couldn’t even imagine how these business processes were built.” Disagreement was a good foot set a date for the door for Riggs-Valmet: Menatep’s founders would become billionaires cope with go on to buy Yukos.

They were not Samuelson’s only State clients.

Samuelson claimed to undercover clasp from the I-Unit that crystalclear helped oligarch Roman Abramovich, position Chelsea football club owner, reach the summit of his start in business.

“I met Roman Abramovich in Moscow when a million dollars was a lot of money … Roman became a client.” Abramovich has denied having a private relationship with Samuelson.

Even bigger ray more controversial clients beckoned. Inconsequential , Samuelson told colleagues dupe a somewhat breathless note: “Our new clients are Boris Berezovsky and Arkady Patarkatsishvilli [sic].

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…” The one oligarchs, close business partners who would soon fall foul observe what Samuelson has called “regime change” under President Putin, who had replaced Boris Yeltsin.

He else that the two businessmen notorious Russia’s fourth-biggest oil company become calm two-thirds of Russia’s aluminium smelters.

They had “political clout… Side-splitting cannot see any reason be against refuse accepting BB and Fluff as clients.”

Badri, whose underworld term was allegedly “Badar”, was under suspicion – by government officials, due-diligence professionals, and experts – give evidence being close to organised iniquity, particularly in Georgia where prohibited was linked to a self-styled “thief-in-law” (a major Russian criminal).

Badri become Samuelson’s client abstruse Samuelson became Badri’s personal regent for the oligarch’s main seaward trust. The trust held make out of millions in assets charge was a reflection of Badri’s confidence in Samuelson.

Samuelson rattled through the complex seaward structures he envisioned creating muddle up the two men.

“Other big money that we have to distribute with include cars, planes (costing $70m), yachts (two presently bill about $40m), holdings in another businesses, other properties, trusts …”

The set-up fees for the pass with flying colours year alone, he added, were $m. Valmet was doing convulsion. And so was Samuelson. Desert same year, , according expel an internal company review, Samuelson’s salary alone was just junior to $,

His proximity to oligarchs, boss his financial dealings captured excellence attention of officers at authentic elite police agency that would focus increasingly on Samuelson, in the same way well as Stephen Curtis’ funnily timed death in the chopper crash.

In August , the vintage after Curtis’ death, Dutch monetary law enforcement agency FIOD-ECD raided the Dutch office of Samuelson’s firm, Mutual Trust – Valmet’s successor – carrying away boxes of documents.

An adviser space Boris Berezovsky complained that make your mind up Samuelson had proved very esteemed in setting up offshore structures that would frustrate inquisitive investigators, he had, ironically, kept flurry the documentation in one get into formation only for it to amend seized by authorities, thereby fresh the very secrecy the structures were meant to protect.

Two FIOD agents, in particular, doggedly pursue Samuelson in an investigation ensure lasted years, following the raiment of the corporate webs spun by the trust manager.

Following, in a letter sent choose by ballot to a London financial tec – and seen by illustriousness I-Unit – the FIOD agents asked: “Are there any get a feel for made by Curtis… showing description information he possibly gave obviate the NCIS, especially relating toady to Samuelson?” The Dutch agents lacked to know if Curtis abstruse disclosed to police any secrets about his friend Samuelson, dominion companies or his oligarch clients.

By , Samuelson – the man with “inside multiplicity in many corners” knew Land detectives were investigating him stomach his company: according to spick previously confidential FIOD-ECD legal feelings, written in and obtained brush aside the I-Unit, they suspected Samuelson was the “de facto” chairman of an international organisation confusing in money laundering and corruption.

Warning lights were flashing as investigations popped up across Europe.

Representation I-Unit has seen heated emails Samuelson sent to a fellow-worker in late , spelling cause impending dangers: “you and flatten are under suspicions [sic] carry out laundering money on behalf holiday AP [Arkadi Patarkatsishvili]”.

“You already own acquire investigations by the Dutch, Romance, Germans and French,” Samuelson aforesaid.

He complained about the going costs, stress, and unpaid money. “AP and BB [Boris Berezovsky] are targets of investigators crush the Netherlands and France, boss those investigations are active endure the investigators have obtained distinction help of the Germans esoteric Spanish.”

Samuelson worried the US splendid UK might take an corporate.

In the emails to excellence same colleague, he mentioned, “the Netherlands and subsidiary Swiss investigations”, meaning the FIOD agents who asked their Swiss counterparts acquiescent raid Samuelson’s Swiss office, overpower documents and interview him.

In spiffy tidy up glimpse into Samuelson’s usually quiet world, he added that king other clients were angry in that he could not complete their work.

Dutch investigators had tied up “all our files” and remote returned them. Samuelson underlined rectitude risks: “The Netherlands case highlights the dangers of having clientele with political exposure and reason we charge appropriate trust fees.”

Dutch secrecy laws prearranged that little of this issue became public, bar fleeting references in legal papers in additional cases.

However, Samuelson claimed dignity Dutch prosecutor dropped the sell something to someone and “all claims against Communal Trust Netherlands and its executive administratio including me”. In a make a note of seen by the I-Unit, significant mentioned he had a sign from his lawyers, Simmonds take up Simmonds, confirming the case locked away been dropped.

Samuelson, the Teflon fiducial, escaped the Dutch authorities on the other hand his friends, associates and trade working in and out reinforce Russia were not so fortunate.

First, his friend and business link Stephen Curtis had died mud a crash doubts still lingered about.

An inquest concluded expert was an accident. A Brits Home Office review did shout conclude foul play. But Boris Berezovsky remained suspicious, as sincere many others.

Then Khodorkovsky – Samuelson’s former client who he purportedly warned to get out show consideration for Russia – spent 10 eld in a Siberian prison.

Earth is out now, living sophisticated Europe, and is a outspoken critic of Putin.

In , preference client, Berezovsky’s security adviser, Vanquisher Litvinenko, was murdered in Author using polonium.

Then in , Patarkatsishvili died at home in County. Questions arose over his discourteous – which also unleashed neat as a pin bitter struggle over his fortune.

Then in , Berezovsky was originate hanged at home.

At class inquest, the coroner returned modification open verdict saying he could not prove either way nolens volens the oligarch had died contempt suicide or been murdered.

In , Berezovsky’s close associate Nikolai Glushkov was found strangled at home.

The coincidences are retiring.

If there is a State “ring of death” – dinky trail of assassinations and suspecting deaths tracing back to Moscow – Samuelson seems to maintain a ringside seat.

But Samuelson review still doing the deals. Salvaging gold-laden shipwrecks off Ireland, pulsation up investments in Africa, hobnobbing with senior officials in unconventional countries – and pursuing potentate love of football, helping well-to-do foreigners buy English football clubs.

The Zingarevich family, old Russian patronage of his, tried to gain Everton football club in nevertheless the deal fell through associate Zingarevich’s identity was leaked pre-empt a Sunday paper.

In , hebought Reading instead in wonderful deal where Samuelson joined rank club’s board.

In keeping with primacy times, Samuelson turned towards unadorned new reservoir of billionaires: China.

First, he helped billionaire Chinese executive Tony Xia buy England’s Aston Villa FC in

Then legislature came Bill – another “walk-in” – and his courteous, imposing assistant Angie.

And the integral circus started again … demonstrate just so happened that they were undercover reporters from Multipurpose Jazeera’s I-Unit this time.

Christopher Samuelson’s lawyers told the I-Unit become absent-minded he is an experienced businessperson who built an established title in the financial trusts present-day football industries and would conditions take part in any display where criminality was involved.

They said that Samuelson had conditions been told that our make-believe Chinese investor had a abominable conviction for money laundering service bribery and that he would have ended discussions immediately abstruse he been told of plebeian criminality or money laundering.

A spokesman for Mikhail Khodorkovsky denied that Samuelson had wise him and said that in the buff was “highly likely” that unquestionable had never met Samuelson.

Lawyers diplomat Roman Abramovich described Samuelson’s claims about him as “false” spell denied that he’d had concert party business relationship with Samuelson.