Abramovich accused of buying Chelsea ‘on Putin’s orders’ in ‘seriously defamatory’ book, court hears
I didn’t buy Chelsea on the orders of Putin as part of some scheme to corrupt the West: Roman Abramovich sues authors over ‘seriously defamatory’ allegations in explosive book
- Roman Abramovich is suing journalist Catherine Belton over book Putin’s People
- Best-selling book, published last April, claims Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea FC was ‘directed’ by the Russian president which the owner has strongly denied
- Two other Russian businessmen have also filed libel claims in relation to book
- Abramovich’s legal team told court there was no coordination between claims
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Lawyers for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich yesterday denied claims in a ‘seriously defamatory’ book that he bought the Premier League football club on the secret instructions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The oligarch-turned-sports tycoon is suing the author and publisher of the best-selling book which describes him as the ‘cashier’ of President Putin.
It alleges he funds and does the bidding of the strong-arm leader’s ‘terrible and toxic’ regime.
Mr Abramovich, 54, built his fortune amid the privatisation of industries following the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, selling his majority share in oil giant Sibneft to Russian state firm Gazprom for almost £10billion in 2005.
Lawyers for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (pictured) have told the High Court that a book called Putin’s People is ‘seriously defamatory’ as it claims he bought the club on Putin’s orders
Lawyers for Abramovich told the court that readers would conclude that the Chelsea FC owner was ‘just doing the president’s bidding to infiltrate British society’. Pictured: Vladimir Putin
He bought Premier League side Chelsea two years earlier for £150million. The club has gone on to win a string of trophies.
But the book, published last year, claimed he was ‘acting under Kremlin direction’ when he purchased the London club. Putin’s People: How The KGB Took Back Russia And Then Took On The West was written by journalist Catherine Belton.
Mr Abramovich’s barrister, Hugh Tomlinson QC, told the High Court yesterday: ‘The book makes a clear and direct allegation that the claimant’s motivation for the purchase of Chelsea was part of a scheme to corrupt the West.
‘It was a calculation by President Putin aimed at building a bulkhead in the UK for Russian influence – and that Mr Abramovich was directed by the Kremlin to take those steps. Putin directed Abramovich to buy the club.’
In a preliminary hearing of a libel claim against former Financial Times journalist Miss Belton and publisher Harper Collins, Mr Tomlinson said the meaning of repeated references to Mr Abramovich in the book were clear and defamatory.
He said the book claimed to reveal details of the ‘renaissance of the KGB’ [intelligence service] which secretly controls the new Russia and the ‘evils of the Putin regime’.
The allegations are made in a book by journalist Catherine Belton (pictured) called Putin’s People which was published last April and is the subject of multiple libel claims by Russians
The QC said it makes allegations against many people, but Mr Abramovich is given a key corrupt role, starting in the days after the collapse of Communism when Boris Yeltsin became President.
Mr Tomlinson said according to allegations in the book: ‘Mr Abramovich was the cashier to the Yeltsin family – and became Putin’s cashier. The claimant ‘had a corrupt relationship with the Russian President and was custodian of his slush fund’. ‘Cashier’ has a clear meaning – someone who receives and pays out money.
‘It’s perfectly clear that’s a straight allegation he’s receiving money and paying out money on behalf of a person described as a corrupt President…while presenting himself as a legitimate businessman.’
Mr Tomlinson said the book suggests that Mr Abramovich ‘initially purchases Chelsea Football Club on the instructions of President Putin’.
He told the court: ‘The impression the reader is left with is ‘Mr Abramovich is making his wealth available to the President of Russia and this is all being done secretly for the benefit of Putin and his cronies. What’s being outlined is a hidden and unlawful enterprise in which Mr Abramovich is a willing participant.
‘There’s a lot of villainy going on and Mr Abramovich is part of it. The ordinary reader would think ‘That’s wrong, he shouldn’t be doing that’.’
Publisher HarperCollins who released the book (pictured) is also facing legal action
Mr Tomlinson insisted the case was not an attack on free speech and public interest journalism, but action against ‘lazy inaccuracies’ which defamed Mr Abramovich under the guise of being ‘serious history’.
Andrew Caldecott QC, representing the defendants, told the court the book raised questions from sources about Mr Abramovich’s behaviour rather than definitively accusing him of willing corruption.
The Chelsea owner is suing the author and publisher for libel.
Also taking action against them in the case were Russian state-owned energy giant Rosneft and businessman Mikhail Fridman, 57, while the head of Russian lender Alfa-Bank, Petr Aven, 66, brought a data protection claim against Harper Collins over the book.
However, the court was told yesterday afternoon that Harper Collins had settled with Mr Aven and Mr Fridman.
The cases brought by Mr Abramovich and Rosneft continue.
