LONDON (Reuters) – German tennis nice Boris Becker “acted dishonestly” by failing handy over assets including his Wimbledon singles trophies earlier than and after he was declared bankrupt in 2017, a London court heard on Monday.
The 54-year-old six instances Grand Slam winner, who attended the opening day of his trial at Southwark Crown Court, faces 24 counts underneath the Insolvency Act regarding the interval from May to October 2017.
Becker, a former world primary who gained Wimbledon thrice, denies the costs. The trial is predicted to final three weeks.
British media quoted prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley as saying Becker “acted dishonestly with reference to quite a few his assets.
“The prosecution say Mr Becker did this each earlier than and after the date of his chapter settlement by not disclosing, not offering, or delivering up, or eradicating assets or issues of worth.”
The expenses embrace 9 counts of not handing over trophies and awards and 7 of concealing property valued at greater than 1.5 million euros ($1.65 million).
“The points boil all the way down to on a regular basis problems with dishonesty and data. That is what we are saying is on the coronary heart of this case,” mentioned the prosecutor.
Judge Deborah Taylor advised the jury to go away apart any preconceptions and to disregard Becker’s movie star.
Becker was made bankrupt on June 21, 2017, on the London High Court in reference to a debt to non-public bankers Arbuthnot Latham & Co.
Under the phrases of the chapter order, he was certain to offer full disclosure of assets.
($1 = 0.9080 euros)
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, enhancing by Ken Ferris)
