Son of divorcee seeking £450m awarded by judge a ‘compulsive liar’, court told
A lawyer representing a divorcee trying to get her hands on £450 million she is owed by her Russian billionaire ex-husband has accused their eldest son of being a “compulsive liar”.
Tatiana Akhmedova, 48, says her ex-husband, 65-year-old businessman Farkhad Akhmedov, has hidden assets and has accused their 27-year-old son, Temur, of acting as his father’s “lieutenant”.
Ms Akhmedova, who is from Russia but lives in London, claims Temur, a London trader, has helped hide assets.
A judge began overseeing a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Monday.
Mrs Justice Gwynneth Knowles is scheduled to consider Ms Akhmedova’s allegations against Temur over the next two weeks.
Alan Gourgey QC, who leads Ms Akhmedova’s legal team, told the judge at the start of the trial that Temur had admitted “various breaches” of a court order.
Mr Gourgey said that amounted to an acceptance of “numerous deceptions” and added: “It demonstrates we say that he is a compulsive liar.”
He said the evidence of Temur’s “breaches”, “deception” and “misconduct” was “overwhelming.”
Both Ms Akhmedova and Temur, who disputes allegations made against him, are due to give evidence.
The trial should have started on Wednesday but was delayed after the judge was told that Temur was in Russia.
Temur told the judge, via a video link, that he had become scared and stressed.
Mrs Justice Knowles ordered him to travel to London and attend the trial to give evidence.
Ms Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5% share of Mr Akhmedov’s £1 billion-plus fortune by another British judge in late 2016.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, who oversaw a hearing in London, said Ms Akhmedova should walk away with £453 million – the award is thought to be the biggest of its kind made in Britain.
But judges have heard that she has so far pocketed about £5 million and that Mr Akhmedov has not “voluntarily” paid a penny.
Ms Akhmedova says Mr Akhmedov has tried to put assets beyond her reach and she has taken legal action in Britain and abroad in a bid to get hold of what she is owed.
Mr Akhmedov says because he and his ex-wife are not British and were not married in Britain, a British judge should not have made a decision.
Ms Akhmedova has already become embroiled in litigation with a number of trusts based in Liechtenstein, into which Mr Akhmedov has transferred assets.
Mrs Justice Knowles had been told how Mr Akhmedov had transferred a super-yacht, the Luna, worth around £340 million, and an art collection, worth around £110 million, into the ownership of trusts in Liechtenstein.
