ARCHIV - 19.01.2021, Russland, ---: SCREENSHOT - Das Bild aus einem vom russischen Oppositionellen Alexej Nawalny produzierten Youtube-Video zeigt eine Drohnenansicht eines Anwesens an der Schwarzmeerküste. Der Putin-Gegner zeichnet in dem knapp zweistündigen Film anhand von Dokumenten die verschleierten Besitzverhältnisse zu dem größten Privatanwesen in Russland nach. Der Kreml bezeichnet die neuen Recherchen Nawalnys zu einem Riesenpalast des Präsidenten Wladimir Putin als «Unsinn». (zu dpa «Kreml: Palast am Schwarzen Meer in Unternehmer-Besitz») Foto: Uncredited/Navalny Life/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

The Italian financial police have seized assets of a businessman worth more than 141 million euros, reports the Reuters news agency. The man is an architect with ties to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, according to an anonymous source.

According to the source, the confiscated assets are said to be Lanfranco Cirillo’s assets. The man planned his property on the Black Sea, for example. The Italian financial police do not want to confirm the information and only speak of a “well-known businessman” whose assets were confiscated in the northern Italian city of Brescia for tax offenses.

A request from the news agency to Cirillo’s lawyer has so far been unsuccessful. However, earlier this year the man admitted to designing the property in an Italian TV interview. “Putin’s Palace” became known worldwide after the imprisoned opposition figure Alexei Navalny made research on it public. Putin has denied any connection to the property in the past. (tsp)