Latest news with #MikhailKroupeev
Times
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Targeting assets may be a useful way to get the wealthy to comply
While outspoken disregard for judicial authority is an increasingly common sentiment in society, it remains relatively rare for courts to impose the harshest penalties for contempt. It may now be time to consider that approach — especially when dealing with individuals residing abroad. Contempt of court remains one of the strongest tools in a judge's armour to ensure compliance and is used sparingly. When Richard Harrison, sitting in the High Court, recently handed down a 28-day suspended prison sentence to Mikhail Kroupeev, a Russian oil tycoon, it carried with it a powerful message: those who consistently refuse to comply with court orders will be dealt with. But that message risks becoming seriously diluted when it is aimed at an individual residing outside of the jurisdiction. In this instance, the sentence was in response to Kroupeev's persistent and flagrant disregard for court orders made in divorce proceedings involving his wife of 36 years, Elena Kroupeeva. Harrison described Kroupeev's conduct as 'arrogant, controlling and profoundly disrespectful …' and stated that he had 'no choice' but to hand down the suspended prison sentence. For now, Kroupeev has been granted a temporary reprieve. If he complies with an order that he pays slightly more than £195,000 towards Kroupeeva's legal fees, he will not be imprisoned. But Kroupeev, a Russian national with British citizenship, resides in Cyprus. Will the threat of imprisonment be enough to ensure his compliance with the costs and other orders in the future? If Kroupeev fails to respect the costs order and the threat of imprisonment lying behind it, there is a limit to what action can actually be taken. Should he refuse to obey, there are numerous legal and practical hurdles which would have to be overcome, all of which would be both costly and time-consuming. His residence in Cyprus means that he would have to be extradited to serve a prison sentence. That, in itself, is a process fraught with obstacles, especially if the person in question possesses a personal fortune. The court has few other tools at its disposal to command Kroupeev's presence. However, there is another sanction for contempt that is rarely used — confiscation of assets held in the jurisdiction. Perhaps, where wealthy individuals are concerned, confiscating their assets in the UK could prove to be a more effective deterrent than the threat of a prison sentence which it may not be possible to enforce. Wealthy individuals should not be allowed to evade justice and hitting their pockets, rather than their liberty, may well be a better incentive to respect the English courts. Michelle Quinn is a partner at Grosvenor Law
Bloomberg
25-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Oil Trader Handed Suspended Sentence in UK Divorce Spat With Ex-Wife
A Russian oil trader was handed a suspended prison sentence in London, after failing to follow court orders made during a bitter divorce battle. Mikhail Kroupeev was handed a 28-day suspended sentence by Judge Richard Harrison on Wednesday, having breached a number of court orders. Kroupeev, who controls Gulfsands Petroleum Plc, a London-based Syrian oil exporter, was found guilty of contempt of court at a hearing earlier this month.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Russian oligarch gets suspended UK jail term for contempt in divorce case
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - A Russian oil tycoon was on Wednesday given a suspended 28-day jail sentence in his absence in London for contempt of court after he repeatedly failed to comply with legal rulings made in his bitter multi-million dollar divorce case. Judge Richard Harrison last week said Mikhail Kroupeev, the non-executive chairman of energy company Gulfsands, had not complied with a series of court orders which followed the collapse of his 36-year marriage to his wife Elena Kroupeeva. Harrison said Kroupeev, who is residing in Cyprus and did not attend in person on Wednesday despite a court order, had been "arrogant, controlling and profoundly disrespectful, both to your wife and to the court". The judge imposed a 28-day prison sentence, suspended on terms that Kroupeev comply with an order to pay just over 195,000 pounds towards Kroupeeva's legal fees. Kroupeev is subject to a freezing order covering 38 million pounds ($51.8 million) of his assets, in a divorce case his ex-wife's legal team says will run into many hundreds of millions of pounds. Kroupeeva's lawyers said in court filings that the couple separated in "tempestuous" circumstances after she discovered in 2023 that her husband had, for most of the last 20 years, been living a double life with a secret second family in Russia. The pair, who are both Russian nationals but have British citizenship, moved to Britain in 1993. As well as Gulfsands, which Kroupeeva's lawyers said had a contract to export oil from Syria, Kroupeev's other business interests included Jupiter Energy, which is involved in oil and gas exports in Kazakhstan, and Waterford Finance which specialises in energy projects. Her lawyers say the couple's assets included a 15 million-pound house in London, luxury homes in Portugal and Turkey, and properties in Russia worth 10 million pounds. Last week, Kroupeev's lawyer Michael Glaser said his client denied the allegations about having a double life and apologised for not complying with the orders.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Russian oil tycoon accused of cheating with secret second family faces jail for not paying legal fees in multi-million pound divorce fight
The wife of a Russian oil tycoon has demanded her husband go to jail after he allegedly failed to pay her legal fees amid their multi-million pound divorce. Mikhail Kroupeev, the non-executive chairman of energy company Gulfsands, appeared at the High Court in London today following the collapse of his 36-year marriage. His wife, Elena Kroupeev, discovered in 2023 her husband had been living a double life with a secret family in Russia. Mr Kroupeev now stands accused of refusing to comply with numerous court orders following the pair's 'tempestuous' separation. Elena Kroupeev began proceedings for a financial settlement in July 2024, and in February, her husband was ordered to pay just over £195,000 towards her legal fees. But her lawyers said he had failed to comply with that and other subsequent orders demanding he reveal the true extent of the wealth from his business empire. He therefore owed her more than £837,000, they said, while a freezing order had also been made covering £38million ($51 million) of his assets. Ms Kroupeev's lawyers said the judge should now issue an order for his imprisonment for contempt of court. 'It is suggested that nothing short of a period of imprisonment will be an effective punishment,' the lawyers said in their court submission. Mr Kroupeev's lawyer Michael Glaser said the allegations about their marriage and alleged affairs should not have been made. 'Not only are they not relevant, they are denied,' he told the court, saying the contested court order was subject to an appeal. However, the judge rejected his attempt to have the case adjourned. The couple, who are both Russian nationals but have British citizenship, moved to Britain in 1993. Ms Kroupeev's lawyer Justin Warshaw said Mr Kroupeev had made his fortune through his connections with Yuri Shafranik, a former Russian energy minister. As well as Gulfsands, which Ms Kroupeev's lawyers said had a contract to export oil from Syria, his business interests included Jupiter Energy, which is involved in oil and gas exports in Kazakhstan, and Waterford Finance which specialises in oil, gas and other energy projects. 'They have been a very wealthy family for a very long time,' Mr Warshaw told the court, saying they lived an 'opulent lifestyle'. The couple's assets were extensive, including a £15million house in north London, luxury homes in Portugal and Turkey, and a portfolio of properties in Russia worth 10 million pounds, her lawyers said. The couple also took luxurious holidays that involved flying by private jet, they said. 'A large motivation for travelling privately would be to ensure that the family dogs could go on holiday with the family,' her legal team said in their submission. While Ms Kroupeev was in court on Wednesday, her husband, who is in Cyprus, attended remotely by videolink. The hearing continues.
Reuters
18-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Wife of Russian oligarch asks UK court to jail him over unpaid legal fees
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The wife of a Russian oil tycoon asked a judge at the High Court in London on Wednesday to jail her husband, alleging he had repeatedly failed to pay her legal fees in their multi-million dollar divorce case. Mikhail Kroupeev, the non-executive chairman of energy company Gulfsands, is accused by his wife Elena Kroupeeva of refusing to comply with numerous courts orders following the collapse of their 36-year marriage. According to submissions from her legal team to the court, the couple separated in "tempestuous" circumstances after Kroupeeva discovered in 2023 her husband had for most of the last 20 years been living a double life with a secret second family in Russia. She began proceedings for a financial settlement in July 2024, and in February, Kroupeev was ordered to pay just over 195,000 pounds towards her legal fees. But her lawyers said he had failed to comply with that and other subsequent orders demanding he reveal the true extent of the wealth from his business empire. He now owed her more than 837,000 pounds, they said, while a freezing order had also been made covering 38 million pounds ($51 million) of his assets. Her lawyers said the judge should now issue an order for his imprisonment for contempt of court. "It is suggested that nothing short of a period of imprisonment will be an effective punishment," her lawyers said in their court submission. Kroupeev's lawyer Michael Glaser said the allegations about their marriage and alleged affairs should not have been made. "Not only are they not relevant, they are denied," he told the court, saying the contested court order was subject to an appeal. However, the judge rejected his attempt to have the case adjourned. The couple, who are both Russian nationals but have British citizenship, moved to Britain in 1993. Kroupeeva's lawyer Justin Warshaw said Kroupeev had made his fortune through his connections with Yuri Shafranik, a former Russian energy minister. As well as Gulfsands, which Kroupeeva's lawyers said had a contract to export oil from Syria, his business interests included Jupiter Energy, which is involved in oil and gas exports in Kazakhstan, and Waterford Finance which specialises in oil, gas and other energy projects. "They have been a very wealthy family for a very long time," Justin Warshaw, Kroupeeva's lawyer told the court, saying they lived an "opulent lifestyle". The couple's assets were extensive, including a 15 million pound house in north London, luxury homes in Portugal and Turkey, and a portfolio of properties in Russia worth 10 million pounds, her lawyers said. The couple also took luxurious holidays that involved flying by private jet, they said. "A large motivation for travelling privately would be to ensure that the family dogs could go on holiday with the family," her legal team said in their submission. While Kroupeeva was in court on Wednesday, her husband, who is in Cyprus, attended remotely by videolink. The hearing continues. ($1 = 0.7432 pounds)
