London (AFP)
Boris Becker pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a London court that accuses him of not having handed over some of his trophies - including the one won at Wimbledon in 1985 - in order to settle his debts, giving him an appointment in September 2021 for his trial.
Declared bankrupt in June 2017, the former German tennis star is accused of not having complied with his information disclosure obligations, especially banking.
In July 2019, 82 items, including trophies and personal souvenirs, had been auctioned and brought in 765,000 euros, a sum intended to pay off part of his debts.
On Thursday, Becker was accused of concealing more than one million pounds (1.1 million euros) held in bank accounts, as well as property.
These included his first trophy gleaned at Wimbledon in 1985, the silverware obtained in 1989 during the same tournament and his trophies won at the Australian Open in 1991 and 1996.
He is also accused of withdrawing hundreds of thousands of pounds and transferring them to other accounts, including those of his estranged wife Barbara Becker and his estranged wife Sharlely "Lilly" Becker.
The 52-year-old German has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges.
Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley has clarified that Mr Becker, who lives in London, could be indicted on new counts at a later date.
"He (Becker) is determined to face, to challenge these accusations and to restore his reputation to the allegations against him," said Jonathan Caplan, his lawyer.
The former player has already had legal setbacks for unpaid debts with the Spanish justice, concerning work in his villa in Mallorca, and with the Swiss justice, for not having paid the pastor who married him in 2009.
In 2002, the German justice sentenced him to two years in prison and to a fine of 500,000 euros for some 1.7 million euros in back taxes.
Six times Grand Slam title, "Boom Boom" Becker, so nicknamed for his devastating service, won 49 titles and obtained more than 20 million euros in earnings during his sports career.
© 2020 AFP