In the London criminal trial against Boris Becker, the jury found the former German tennis star guilty of several charges. The jury decided on Friday that the 54-year-old had withheld parts of his assets from his insolvency administrator. Theoretically, Becker could face a prison sentence.
Judge Deborah Taylor’s sentence is scheduled to be announced on April 29. Becker followed the verdict with a red head. He can still appeal the verdict.
ownership not fully disclosed
Becker was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017. At the time, his outstanding debts were estimated at up to £50 million (€59 million). The jury found that he failed to disclose all of his possessions, contrary to legal requirements, on four out of 24 counts. He could have faced a total of up to seven years in prison.
All of the allegations involved bank accounts and real estate, as well as several trophies, including the Wimbledon trophy from Becker’s first Grand Slam tournament win in 1985. The four counts on which he was found guilty specifically deal with wire transfers large sums to other accounts, concealing a property and a loan and shares.
- ZIB 1: Boris Becker found guilty
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The former exceptional athlete had strictly rejected the allegations. Becker testified in court that he had neither the time nor the expertise and therefore always left financial matters to his advisors. His attorney Jonathan Laidlaw had portrayed him as naive and lazy. He was also not informed in good time what obligations he would have had after his insolvency.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley did not believe his statements. Becker intentionally transferred money to other accounts in order to prevent his insolvency administrators from accessing it. He also knew that he was registered as the owner of several properties, she said in the process.
Source: Nachrichten