Billions In Blood Diamonds Go To Lev Leviev – For Now

Chabad 'Chief Rabbi' Dodges Court Summons As Billions In Diamonds Go To Lev Leviev – For Now

Chabad’s ‘Chief Rabbi of Russia’ Berel Lazar gave “very much depreciated” testimony in the fight between two Russian Jewish oligarchs, Arcadi Gaydamak and Lev Leviev who are fighting over billions of dollars in profits from African diamond sales, a judge who sits on Britain’s High Court said yesterday.

Shmarya Rosenberg  

Chabad’s ‘Chief Rabbi of Russia’ Berel Lazar reportedly gave “very much depreciated” testimony in the fight between two Russian Jewish oligarchs,Arcadi Gaydamak and Lev Leviev, who are fighting over billions of dollars in profits from African diamond mones, a judge who sits on Britain’s High Court said yesterday.

Leviev is Lazar’s patron and Chabad’s major financial backer in the FSU.

Lazar refused to testify in person or by video link, instead submitting a written witness statement.

The judge criticized Lazar, who gave “no satisfactory explanation” for not attending the hearing or for his “unwillingness” to testify by video link.

Testimony given in person or by video link would have subjected Lazar to questioning and possible perjury charges.

“The force of his written evidence is, therefore, I regret to say, very much depreciated,” the judge said.

Gaydamak sued Leviev in an attempt to enforce an agreement Gaydamak claimed they had to split profits from an Angolan diamond exploration and trading company.

Leviev denied signing agreement.

Gaydamak claimed the agreement was signed by both men and given to Lazar to hold for safekeeping.

Lazar previously admitted on a television interview show that the two men had given him an envelope for safekeeping. But Lazar claimed that he did not know the contents of the envelope, and said that he lost it sometime after it was given to him.

FailedMessiah.com exclusively interviewed Gaydamak in 2010 about the agreement and Lazar's claim. At the time, Lazar refused to comment on Gaydamk's claims and hung up the phone when questioned.

Earlier today in London, the judge dismissed Gaydamak’s damage claim against Leviev, ruling that while a valid agreement between the two men had in fact been been made in 2001, the two men had “released all claims against each other” in a 2011 settlement agreement that Gaydamak claims he was tricked and coerced into signing.

Gaydamak reportedly plans to appeal.