Claims Chelsea boss 'gave Putin £25m yacht' amid corruption rumours

The allegations, aired on the BBC's Panorama last night, come as a top US official openly accused Putin of corruption, bribery and of manipulating state funds.

Dmitry Skarga, who used to run the state shipping company, said: "It is a fact that Mr Abramovich, through his employee, transferred a yacht to Mr Putin.

"I was on board this yacht at the end of March 2012 and there was a representative of Mr Abramovich.

"He said that Roman is the owner of this yacht."

Skarga claimed that the deal was done through an off-shore company controlled by Putin but running costs were "paid for by the state budget".

Adam Szubin, a US Treasury official, believed Putin is "corrupt" and that the US has been aware of his graft for "many, many years."

He said: "We've seen him enriching his friends, his close allies, and marginalising those who he doesn't view as friends using state assets.

"Whether that's Russia's energy wealth, whether it's other state contracts, he directs those to who he believes will serve him and exclude those who don't.

"To me, that is a picture of corruption."

The Chelsea owner's lawyer rebuffed the yacht claims and called them "a rehash of speculation and rumours."

While the Kremlin told the BBC that the allegations were nothing but "pure fiction".

Speculation about the size of Putin's personal fortune could raise eyebrows though, as Russia's economy shrank by 3.7% last year.

(dailystar.co.uk)