Mumbai, Feb 8: Anil Ambani, the brother of Asia’s richest man has pleaded poverty in his dispute with three Chinese banks seeking $680 million in defaulted loans.
“The value of my investments has collapsed,” Anil Ambani said, according to a court filing by the banks in a London lawsuit.
“The current value of my shareholdings is down to approximately $82.4m and my net worth is zero after taking into account my liabilities. In summary, I do not hold any meaningful assets which can be liquidated for the purposes of these proceedings.”
The lawsuit was filed by three state-controlled Chinese banks which argue that they provided a loan of $925 million to Ambani’s Reliance Communications Ltd. in 2012 with the condition that he personally guarantee the debt. The comments were disclosed on Friday as Ambani sought to avoid depositing hundreds of millions of dollars with the court ahead of a trial.
The embattled Indian tycoon says that while he agreed to give a non-binding “personal comfort letter,” he never gave a guarantee tied to his personal assets -- an “extraordinary potential personal liability.”
The 60-year-old is the brother of Mukesh Ambani, who’s worth $56.5 billion and is the wealthiest man in Asia. Anil, on the other hand, has seen his personal fortune dwindle over recent years, losing his billionaire status. His Reliance Communications filed for bankruptcy last year.
The banks asked Judge David Waksman to force Ambani to put up $656 million into the court’s account.
Representatives for Ambani’s Reliance Group said they couldn’t immediately comment. They said the group will issue a statement once the court issues the final order.
Ambani’s lawyer, Robert Howe, said the court shouldn’t order his client to make a payment he can’t make. The tycoon argues that an order requiring him to do so would hinder his ability to defend himself in the case, Howe said.
“There’s no evidence of some giant pot of gold that he can pull $1 million, let alone $10 million, let alone $100 million,” Howe said.
Bankim Thanki, an attorney representing Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, said in a filing that Ambani’s statements are “plainly a yet further opportunistic attempt to evade his financial obligations to the lenders.”
Ambani was caught up in another legal wrangle last year when India’s Supreme Court threatened him with prison after Reliance Communications failed to pay Rs 5.5 billion ($77 million) to Ericsson AB’s Indian unit. The judges gave him a month to find the funds, and his brother, Mukesh, stepped in just in time to make the payment.
Anil said in a filing that he recognized that the judge would want to know if he could satisfy any order to put up funds from outside resources, including his family.
“I can confirm that I have made enquiries but I am unable to raise any finance from external sources,” he said. Judge Waksman had said in an earlier ruling that he believed Ambani’s defence would be shown to be “opportunistic and false.”
Ambani’s lawyer told the judge that as a result of the comments the tycoon’s relatives were unlikely to lend any funds.
There is a “very substantial risk they will never get it back,” Howe said.
Comments
I do not know why media is making some big issues. Most of us have many FB accounts, Email Ids. This is not like Aadhar or Passport where it is the identity. Even in US, I know many senators having many FB accounts. They cannot share their personal details on FB so they have personal, political and regular friends.
Its not your fault. Politics isn't your cup of tea. It is something that is beyond your abilities! Sumne acting madkond iddidre yeshto chennagittu alva? Why on earth do you need all this? Is it worth?
...she just wanted to follow Kejribhai and thought abusing Modi would be a good idea...poor thing paid for it....the way it looks spandana will now onwards beat slower and more sensibly...
When will Ramya make public her smart strategy to take over Nehru dynasty to become all-powerful in Congress party and announce her secret master-stroke engagement to Rahu ?
I like her witty tweet and proud of her success she achieved at young age. She is more smart courage than feku supporter stone aged most superstious backward mindset RSS criminals (especially pucking uneducated ignorant brainwashed male and from mangalore chaddi taliban region) from karnataka. Best part, she doesn't give rats to 1000s of hate, abuse message from 3rd class chaddi criminals. RSS
criminal hurt by fact! RAT that how smart Ramya treat trolls on her facebook and twitter. you low life coward chaddi criminals can intimate her with her and demolishing comments? get a life
manipulating videos is the history of Brahmin Bania Jumla Party! They did it in JNU, they did with Hardik Patel, they might have done now, they will continue doing always
ತಾಯಿ ರಮ್ಯಾ ದೇವಿ ! ಎಷ್ಟು ಶತದಡ್ಡಿ ಇದ್ದೀಯಮ್ಮಾ ನೀನು !? ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಪೆದ್ದಿ, ಮುಂದೆ election ಗೆಲ್ಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ಇದೇಯೋ ಅಥವಾ ಪಪ್ಪು ಆಗ್ಲೇ ರಾಜ್ಯಸಭೆ seat ready ಇಟ್ಟಿದಾನೋ?
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