£5m Surrey mansion at centre of row over Russian bank sanctions loophole

Accused former Russian bank boss Nikolay Fetisov’s mansion in Oxshott, Surrey, was sold last month for £5.3m. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

The £5.3m sale of a 12-bedroom mansion in Surrey involved in a case of alleged banking fraud is heading for the high court in a bid by lawyers to send some of the proceeds to one of Russia’s state-controlled banks.

Lawyers believe some of the money can be transferred to one of Vladimir Putin’s state-controlled banks, the National Bank Trust, without any breach of sanctions. They are seeking a court order to allow the transfer.