Portugal has blocked the sale of a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) mansion belonging to sanctions-hit Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the Publico newspaper reported on Saturday, without citing sources.

The property register for the mansion at the luxury resort Quinta do Lago in the Algarve was frozen – meaning it cannot be changed – on March 25 at the request of the Foreign Office, a month after the complete invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Publico said.

The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. A spokesperson for Abramovich did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.

According to Publico, the former Chelsea Football Club owner tried to sell the property 15 days before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through Delaware-based Millhouse Views LLC, owned by Millhouse LLC. , which manages its assets.

Portugal’s largest bank, Caixa Geral de Depositos, noticed the move and alerted authorities, the newspaper said. The bank declined to comment.

Publico said the property is in plot 17 of the San Lorenzo North area of ​​Quinta do Lago. A Reuters witness said there was a sign outside the closed mansion indicating it had been sold.

Abramovich has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He denied having any such ties.

The billionaire obtained Portuguese nationality in April 2021 on the basis of a law offering naturalization to descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval Inquisition.

The history of Sephardic Jews in Russia is little known.

The case sent shockwaves through Portugal, leading prosecutors to open an investigation and the detention of a rabbi responsible for the certification that granted Abramovich citizenship.