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Berezovsky sells out his property in London and the picture of Andy Warhol “Red Lenin” over debts – The Times

His former common law wife Yelena Gorbunova filed a lawsuit against him

LONDON, March 18 (Itar-Tass) – To repay his debts former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who lives in Britain, is selling out his property, including the portrait “Red Lenin”. This picture, which is created by Andy Warhol in 1987, is estimated to cost, according to the catalogue of the Christie’s auction house, from 30,000 to 50,000 pounds (from 46,000 to 75,000 dollars). The biddings, for which the picture is put up, will be held on Wednesday, March 20, the London newspaper The Times reported on Monday.

The newspaper reported with the reference to informed sources that Berezovsky is selling out his property to settle his debts with the creditors and pay for his expenses on the lawyers. Berezovsky’s lawyer refrained from any comments to the newspaper. The Christie’s auction house also did not reply to a request.

According to the Times reports, Berezovsky sells several works of fine arts, shuts down his office in the prestigious London district Mayfair, dismisses his several associates, gets rid of mansions and puts up for bidding a vintage model of Rolls-Royce produced in 1927.

In this respect, the London authorities recalled about the recent trials, which exposed Berezovsky’s financial difficulties. In 2012 he lost in London a lawsuit, which he filed against Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who is the owner of the English Premier League club Chelsea, with the demands for the compensations to the tune of more than five billion dollars. After the judge rejected several accusations from Berezovsky, naming him as a witness deserving trust, he had to face the bills for the payment of the services of the lawyers for tens of millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, at the beginning of this year it was reported about a new trial against Berezovsky. At the trial the former oligarch faced the demands for monetary compensations. Berezovsky former common law wife Yelena Gorbunova filed a lawsuit against Berezovsky in the High Court of London. She claimed to Berezovsky for millions of pounds and attained a court verdict to freeze some of his assets. At first the court ruled to freeze the assets of the business tycoon at the cost of 200 million pounds (313 million dollars), but later this sum was reduced.

Gorbunova claimed that Berezovsky refused to pay to her and two their children five million pounds (7.8 million dollars) from the sale of their former house in England at the cost of 25 million pounds (39 million dollars). He also did not provide a promised house instead. Meanwhile, she noted that he is trying to sell two real estate sites in France, which he also promised to her for many years. It is unclear what sum of compensation she hopes to receive.

The local press reported that in 2011 Berezovsky paid from 150 to 300 million dollars to his second wife Galina Besharova upon the results of the divorce trial, which was also held at the London court.