The verdict is in. Former German tennis player Boris Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a British court on Friday on four counts related to his personal bankruptcy.
The ex-athlete will be imprisoned after being found guilty of having hidden 2.5 million pounds sterling, or 3 million euros, in assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. Winner of six Grand Slams (3 Wimbledons, an Australian Open and two US Opens), Boris Becker should serve half his sentence behind bars, around 15 months.
A British resident since 2012, the 54-year-old champion was found guilty on April 8 by the Southwark Crown Court in London of concealing or illicitly transferring hundreds of thousands of euros and pounds sterling after declaring himself in bankruptcy.
The former champion would have notably transferred astronomical sums from a professional account to the accounts of his ex-wives. He would also have hidden a loan of 825,000 euros and would not have declared a property in Germany, his country of origin. As reported by AFP, his debts were estimated at up to 50 million pounds sterling (59 million euros).
Boris Becker acquitted on 20 other charges
Boris Becker, who disputes all the charges, was acquitted of twenty other counts, including those relating to the disappearance of his trophies. He had assured the hearing that he did not know where they were.
Among the nine accolades creditors would have liked to get their hands on are two of his three Wimbledon cups, two Australian Open trophies and his doubles gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. auction part of his rewards for 700,000 pounds (840,000 euros) in order to pay off part of his debts.
