CHANCERY DIVISION
The Strand London WC2A Thursday, 8 July 2004 |
||
B e f o r e :
____________________
LENNOX LEWIS | CLAIMANT | |
- v - | ||
ELIADES | DEFENDANT |
____________________
190 Fleet Street London EC4A 2AG,
Tel No: 020 7404 1400 Fax No: 020 7831 8838
(Official Shorthand Writers to the Court)
MR TAGER QC appeared on behalf of the Defendant
____________________
Crown Copyright ©
Thursday, 8 July 2004
MR JUSTICE PETER SMITH:
"Q. Let me move on.
6 Bloomsbury Square, did you own that property at one point?
A. Yes.
Q. And you sold it to Managa Properties?
A. Yes.
Q. Who owned Managa Properties?
A. I don't know the individuals.
…
Q. Did you ever have any meeting with the principals of the company?
A. I don't think I actually met with the principals of the company.
Q. Remind me, who owns Bambaklutsh company? Do you know who owns that?
A. Which is that?
Q. That is Theydon Road, that you sold Theydon Road to. Tell me how the sale of Theydon Road came about?
A. Isn't Bambaklutsh the Katchic-Ogly family?
Q. I think that is what you testified to.
A. They are a Russian-based family. They are a Russian based family in Cyprus. They were after property and I sold that property I think for 300,000..."
Later on, he said he had borrowed the money from his brother who was called Christos, and he was in the import/export business but he did not know the name of his brother's company.
"'Q. Did you ever have meetings with the principals of the company?
A. I don't think I actually met with the principals of the company.'
Q. Did you give those answers to my questions in your deposition?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you think that those were straightforward answers?"
Then we have the typical US lawyer who says:
"MR. ISSER: Objection, your Honour.
THE COURT: this is cross-examination, Mr Isser. He can ask it..
Q. Do you think they were straightforward answers under oath to me?
A. They were answers to protect my family.
Q. That is not my question, sir. Do you think they were straightforward answers?
A. Yes.
Q. You do?
A. Yes.
Q. You thought that when I asked you do you know who the owners of the company are and you said no, even though your brother was the beneficial owner of the company, that's your view of a straightforward answer, correct? Yes or no?
A. In order to protect my family --
Q. Yes or no, is that your view --
A. Yes.
Q. -- of a straightforward answer?
A. Yes.
Q. That's the same kind of straightforward answer that you had with respect to your testimony here, correct?
The essence of the position is that the impression given by Mr Eliades was that he knew nothing about Managa, it was nothing to do with him, and it was a transaction that was apparently between somebody or a company which had no connection with him.
"I have also formed the view that Mr Eliades is the beneficial owner of the charges in favour of Managa secured in Parliament Hill and Green Lane."