Swiss close Russian oligarch’s case against art dealer

Geneva, Sept 17 (AFP/APP):Swiss prosecutors have closed a case brought by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev against a top art dealer he accused of swindling him out of hundreds of millions of dollars, authorities confirmed Friday.

Rybolovlev, president of the AS Monaco football club, has alleged Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier charged him inflated prices on dozens of works he acquired for more than $2.1 billion.

He has since 2015 brought cases against the dealer in Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and Switzerland.

But after Rybolovlev suffered setbacks in the other jurisdictions, and saw his case against the art dealer thrown out in Monaco in 2019, the office of Geneva’s top prosecutor said last January that it planned to drop the case.

A spokesman for the Geneva judicial authorities confirmed to AFP on Friday that the case had been officially closed.
Bouvier, who has always maintained his innocence in the case, hailed the decision.

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