Leaked documents raise perjury concerns in Abramovich oil-fields case

Leaked documents seen by the BBC suggest that Eugene Tenenbaum, one of Roman Abramovich's closest associates, may have misled a UK court in a long-running dispute over Siberian oil fields. The case dates back to 2008 and centred on ownership of assets linked to Sibneft and Sibir Energy PLC. Abramovich won that case at the time, but the newly reported material raises fresh questions about what was presented to the court.

Sponsored

According to the documents, there may have been a premeditated attempt to reduce the value of another investor's stake in the Siberian venture. Tenenbaum, a former director of Chelsea Football Club, was giving evidence in proceedings brought against Abramovich by a company owned by Russian billionaire Chalva Tchigirinsky. Abramovich's lawyers say their client denies all the allegations made against him, while lawyers for Tenenbaum say he denies in the strongest terms any suggestion of perjury or contempt of court.

The underlying dispute concerned a joint venture known as Sibneft-Yugra, in which Sibneft contributed money and the Russian subsidiary Yugraneft provided licences for the oil fields. The partnership later ended acrimoniously, and Sibir's 50% interest in the venture was diluted to less than 1%, which it said happened without its knowledge. Unsuccessful attempts to sue Sibneft in Russia and the British Virgin Islands led to the London proceedings, where Yugraneft claimed it had been the victim of a massive fraud directed by Abramovich and said it had suffered losses of not less than $2 billion, worth about £1 billion at the time.

The new allegations matter because they go to the integrity of evidence given in a major commercial case heard in the UK. If the leaked material is borne out, it could deepen scrutiny of how the ownership battle was fought and what information the court received. The case also sits within a wider history of disputes over Russian business assets that have been tested in foreign courts when domestic legal routes failed.

Sponsored

Abramovich's side had argued that Yugraneft was unable to repay loans of more than $30 million and therefore lost its right over the shares. The court accepted Abramovich's position on a number of fronts in 2008. The latest claims do not alter that outcome, but they do reopen questions about the conduct of those involved and the documentary record behind the case.

What remains unclear is whether the leaked documents will lead to any formal legal action or court review. It is also not yet clear whether any authority will examine the allegations of misleading evidence or whether the matter will remain part of a broader public dispute over Abramovich's business dealings. For now, the key issue is whether the new material can be independently tested and what weight it may carry in any future proceedings.

#RomanAbramovich #EugeneTenenbaum #ChalvaTchigirinsky #Sibneft #SibirEnergy #UKcourt