Investigative journalists Ruslan Shaveddinov and Georgii Alburov expose the luxurious lifestyle of Russian State Duma member Alexei Chepa, who has been advocating for war with Ukraine. Despite being under Western sanctions, Chepa owns a 15 million euro villa in Spain, which is registered in his 22-year-old son's name. The villa is part of a larger estate that includes a sports field, tennis court, and multiple buildings. Chepa also owns properties in London, the United States, and Bulgaria, which are registered in the names of his relatives. The journalists argue that Chepa's ability to maintain his luxurious lifestyle despite sanctions is due to the fact that Russian officials often register their assets in the names of their relatives to avoid detection. They call for more effective sanctions that target not only Russian officials but also their families.
Here are the extracted key facts:
1. Alexei Chepa is a member of the State Duma in Russia.
2. He represents the impoverished regions of Vologda, Novgorod, Kostroma, Tver, and Smolensk.
3. Chepa has been in the State Duma for 12 years.
4. He has done business with a weapons baron named Gaidamak.
5. Chepa opened a luxury restaurant in London with restaurateur Arkady Novikov.
6. Chepa launched TV channels called "Nostalgia" and "Russian World".
7. Chepa is under Western sanctions.
8. He owns a villa in Spain, which was registered to his 22-year-old son.
9. The villa is worth around 15 million euros or 1.5 billion rubles.
10. Chepa's family also owns properties in London, the United States, and Bulgaria.
11. His son, Daniel, is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom.
12. Chepa's daughter, Anastasia, owns an apartment in London worth 1 million pounds.
13. Chepa bought an apartment in Miami for 2.5 million dollars in 2010.
14. He did not declare the foreign real estate in his declaration.
15. The apartment in Miami was later registered to his niece.
16. Chepa's family has registered properties in other countries through offshore companies.
17. His son, Daniel, registered an offshore company in Belize, which owns a Bulgarian company.
18. Chepa's family has been accused of hypocrisy for owning properties in Western countries while promoting anti-Western views.