Tennis ace Boris Becker is facing jail term of up to seven years for concealing assets worth millions of pounds to avoid paying the debts. Boris looked teary-eyed and forlorn as he was captured hugging his partner Carvalho Monteiro, who supported him throughout the trials.
Earlier this month, Boris was found guilty of four charges under Insolvency Act by Southwark crown court in London. He, however, was acquitted in 20 other cases, including the allegation of hiding two Wimbledon trophies.
His fate will be decided by Judge Deborah Taylor on Friday.
So Boris Becker is looking at a prison term for fraudulently hiding money in his bankruptcy – have the same people looked into Katie Price’s affairs properly, she seems to do ok for a bankrupt! Or is it selective?
— Karen (@cheesedoff3) April 28, 2022
The six-time Grand Slam champion was declared bankrupt in 2017 after he failed to repay a loan of almost £4m for his sprawling estate in Mallorca, Spain. To avoid paying the debt, Becker didn’t declare his German Villa worth £1.8 million, transferred £350,000 to his ex-wife, and bought 75,000 shares in a software firm.
The court also found him guilty of using his business account as a “piggy bank.” A lavish lifestyle, an expensive divorce, and financial mishandling are the major reason for Becker’s fall from grace. The bankruptcy tag furthered restricted his ability to get lucrative deals.
“[It is] very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it. [It is] very difficult to make a lot of money with my name,” said Boris Becker to BBC.
Had Becker not lied about his assets to the court, he would have escaped imprisonment.
“Make no mistake, being found guilty in a criminal court of bankruptcy offences is quite rare. The level of Mr Becker’s attempts to frustrate the process, and avoid repaying his creditors, must therefore have been quite exceptional,” said Alex Jay, the head of insolvency and asset recovery at the litigation firm in London.
A four-legged ego maniac poses for a photo outside Southwark Crown Court, ahead of Boris Becker sentencing pic.twitter.com/zgB4ATfG7y
— Minnie Stephenson (@MinnieStephC4) April 29, 2022
In his 16-year-long illustrious career, Becker won Grand Slams on six occasions. At 17, he became the youngest Grand Slam winner when he defeated Kevin Curren in Wimbledon in 1985. The record is still intact. Post-retirement, he had a successful career in broadcasting and coaching.
