Finance police on Tuesday
froze Italian assets worth 30 million euros belonging to a
powerful Russian businessman under European Union sanctions
against Moscow over its role in Ukraine.
The assets, owned by Arkadi Rotenberg, include three villas
on the holiday island of Sardinia and a four-star hotel in
central Rome, according to Italian newspaper reports.
Rotenberg, 62, is a professional martial arts instructor
and old friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Companies owned by the magnate won contracts linked to this
year's Winter Olympics in Sochi worth $7 billion.
He is fifth on the list of businessmen affected by EU
sanctions against Russia for allegedly fuelling the pro-Russia
uprising in eastern Ukraine.
On Tuesday Rotenberg defined the asset freeze as
"illegitimate" and "absurd".
"I have been under sanctions for several months and nothing
surprises me any more," he was quoted by Russian news agency
Interfax as saying.
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