• The Brescia tax police seized the assets of a “well-known professional,” claiming possible tax violations.
• According to the source, the property belonged to Lanfranco Cirillo.

ROME: The Italian tax police have seized assets worth over 144 million euros from an architect with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the tax police issued a statement alleging that they had taken the assets of a “well-known professional” in Brescia, a city in northern Italy, for alleged tax crimes. Contacted by reporters, it refused to identify the individual.

According to the source, the assets belonged to Lanfranco Cirillo, who created a large home on the Black Sea in Russia that became known as “Putin’s palace” when a businessman claimed the estate was built for Putin.

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In the past, the Russian president has denied any connection to the expensive home.

When contacted by a UK news agency, a lawyer for Cirillo did not comment.

In an interview with Italian television earlier this year, Cirillo stated that he had designed the skyscraper, but that it had been commissioned by a private firm and that he had no ties with Putin.

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