Roman Abramovich asked a British appeals court to reverse a ruling that allowed a $3.9 billion lawsuit against him, filed by former business partner Boris Berezovsky, to go to trial.
Berezovsky sued in 2007 over claims that Abramovich used threats and intimidation to force him to sell shares of Sibneft and Russian Aluminum at a fraction of their value between 2001 and 2003.
Abramovich’s request to dismiss the case before trial was wrongfully denied by a lower court in March 2010, his lawyers argued Tuesday at the Court of Appeal in London. The judge erred in allowing Berezovsky to amend the claims after a limitation period had expired, his lawyers said.
Abramovich allegedly told Berezovsky that the Russian government would expropriate the shares if he didn’t agree to sell them, and that one of his friends would be forced to languish in prison.
(Bloomberg)
