Bangladesh, Nov. 23 -- The long-running legal saga surrounding Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich entered a new phase this week after courts in Jersey published a series of long-hidden judgments confirming that a sweeping investigation into suspected money laundering and sanctions breaches will continue. The release of these documents, some of which were issued more than a year ago, sheds unprecedented light on how one of the worlds most powerful businessmen became entangled in the judiciary of a small British Crown Dependency-and how more than $7 billion of his assets came to be frozen.

The rulings confirm that a freeze placed on assets linked to Abramovich will remain in force, dealing a significant setback to the former Chelsea Foot...