You're reading: Oligarchs’ lawsuit hears of ‘corrupt’ Russia

LONDON — A lawyer for Roman Abramovich says the Russian tycoon paid $2 billion to fellow oligarch Boris Berezovsky for his services as a "political godfather" in the turbulent years after the collapse of communism.

The two men are facing off in a London court, where Berezovsky is suing Abramovich for 3.2 billion pounds ($5 billion).

Berezovsky, who lives in self-imposed exile in Britain, claims Abramovich intimidated him into selling shares in Russian oil company Sibneft at a fraction of their value.

Abramovich’s lawyer, Jonathan Sumption, opened his defense Tuesday, saying that in corrupt and chaotic post-Soviet Russia Berezovsky was a "power broker" to whom Abramovich businesses had paid $2 billion.

The case opened Monday and is expected to last two months.