Documents suggest Abramovich's associate misled UK court in £1bn case

Eugene Tenenbaum, a former director of Chelsea Football Club, was involved in managing the wealth of billionaire Roman Abramovich during a 2008 court case. The case was brought against Abramovich by a company owned by another Russian billionaire, who alleged that oil fields had been stolen from him and other investors.

Leaked documents indicate there was an attempt to reduce the value of the other investors' stake in a Siberian oil venture. Lawyers for Tenenbaum denied any suggestion that he committed perjury or contempt of court.

The 2008 court case centered on the ownership of Siberian oil fields developed jointly between Abramovich's company, Sibneft, and a Russian subsidiary of the British company Sibir Energy PLC, owned by Chalva Tchigirinsky. Sibir's 50% interest in the joint venture was reduced to less than 1% without its knowledge.

Yugraneft, a company involved in the case, claimed it was the victim of a fraud orchestrated by Abramovich, resulting in a loss of over $2 billion. Abramovich's team argued that Yugraneft had defaulted on loans and thus lost its right to the shares.

New evidence, uncovered through a joint investigation with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, suggests the court may have been misled. The documents, part of a leak about Abramovich's finances and offshore companies, raise serious questions about the integrity of his advisers.

One of the agreements presented in court was dated August 2003 but appeared to have been created and signed in 2007. Abramovich's legal team maintained that the dilution of Yugraneft's interest was not premeditated or fraudulent.