Row between Russian tycoons hits London courts

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

LONDON (AFP) — Boris Berezovsky says he was intimidated into selling shares in some of Russia's biggest companies, a court ruling on his claim against fellow Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich heard Monday.

Berezovsky, who was at London's High Court for the preliminary hearing in the two billion pound (2.5 billion euro, four billion dollar) claim, says he was forced to sell shares in oil company Sibneft, aluminium giant Rusal and television channel ORT at well below the market rate.

The two businessmen were once partners and are both among the world's richest people. Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich, 41, is reportedly worth nearly 12 billion pounds and Berezovsky, 62, more than 650 million pounds, according to The Sunday Times rich list published this month....