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UK court orders Anil Ambani to pay $717 mn to Chinese banks within 21 days

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A UK court on Friday directed Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani to pay nearly $717 million to three Chinese banks pursuing the recovery of funds owed to them as part of a loan agreement within 21 days.

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At a remotely held hearing, in line with procedures in place for the Covid-19 pandemic, Justice Nigel Teare ruled at the Commercial Division of the High Court of England and Wales in London that a personal guarantee disputed by Ambani is binding on him.



“It is declared that the Guarantee is binding on the Defendant (Ambani),” Justice Teare’s order notes.

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“It is declared that… the sum payable by the Defendant to the Claimant (banks) pursuant to the Guarantee is $716,917,681.51,” it reads.

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A spokesperson for Anil Ambani said the matter pertains to an alleged personal guarantee for a corporate loan availed by Reliance Communications Limited (RCom) in 2012 for global refinancing.


“It is emphasised that it is not a personal loan of Mr Ambani. ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) made their claim based on an alleged guarantee that was never signed by Mr Ambani and he has consistently denied having authorised anyone to execute any guarantee on his behalf,” the spokesperson said.

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“As far as the judgment of the UK court is concerned, the question of any enforcement in India does not arise in the near future, and Mr Ambani is seeking legal advice on the future course of action,” the spokesperson said.

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The banks – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd Mumbai Branch, China Development Bank and Exim Bank of China – had taken their claim for a summary judgment to the UK High Court and in February were granted a conditional order, in effect a deposit to be paid into court pending a full trial in the case.


Judge David Waksman, presiding over that hearing on February 7, had set a six-week timeline for the payment of $100 million pending a ull trial in 2021.

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The court order this week vacates a trial date previously set for March 18 next year and also issues a court costs order in favour of the banks, adding a further 750,000 pounds to the overall amount owed.

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According to the court order, the nearly $717 million to be paid by Ambani comprises of the principal amount outstanding under the Facility Agreement of $549,804,650.16; interest outstanding as of May 22 of $51,923,451.49; and default interest due of $115,189,579.86.


“The final amount owed by the Defendant (Ambani) to the Claimant (banks) under the Guarantee shall be assessed subject to the outcome of the RCom Insolvency Action,” the court order states, leaving the option open to the banks to revisit the final amount in future.

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The reference is to an ongoing State Bank of India (SBI) Insolvency Application in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in India related to Reliance Communications (RCom), which the Chinese banks’ legal team had argued had no bearing on the English Court’s ability to proceed to determine their clients’ claims.

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Ambani’s spokesperson said the amount ordered to be paid based on the “alleged guarantee”, will “reduce substantially” upon the imminent resolution of RCom’s debt in accordance with the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016.


“The Order of the UK court will have no bearing on the operations of Reliance Infrastructure Limited, Reliance Power Limited and Reliance Capital Limited,” the spokesperson said.

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The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd Mumbai Branch, on behalf of the three Chinese banks, had sought the summary judgment against Ambani over an alleged breach of a personal guarantee on a debt refinancing loan of around $925 million in February 2012.

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Ambani denies providing authority for any such guarantee, resulting in the High Court action in the UK – the jurisdiction agreed upon as part of the terms of the loan agreement.


At the last hearing in the case in February, Justice Waksman had ruled that he did not accept Ambani’s defence that his net worth was nearly zero or that his family would not step in to assist him when “push came to shove” to cover the conditional order amount of $100 million.

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(Note: This is a Article Automatically Generated Through Syndication, Here is The Original Source

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Lawsuit Claims Cinemark Shortchanged Customers on Sold Beverages

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Lawsuit Claims Cinemark Shortchanged Customers on Sold Beverages

A North Texas movie-goer has filed a lawsuit over Plano-based Cinemark drink sizes.

The lawsuit alleges that the movie theater chain fleeced its customers by shorting beverages sold in the chain’s canteens.

The chain loudly advertised that the 24-ounce container is a better deal, claiming consumers will get more for less price, while the reality is that Cinemark swindles customers by shortchanging them on sales for the 24-ounce beverage cup.

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Cinemark Accused of Shortchanging Customers on Beverage Sales

The proposed class action lawsuit has been filed in a Texas federal court and it indicts the movie.

The lawsuit further details how consumers got only 22 ounces of liquid, which is the maximum that can be filled in Cinemark’s 24-ounce cups.

It is alleged that the deception was part of a deliberate packaging and pricing practice.

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Also Read: California mother files lawsuit against Tesla after her 2-year-old child starts Model X and runs over her

Theaters pay almost 50% of the revenue generated by ticket sales to the studios but keep all the profits generated by the sales of food and beverage.

Increased competition has pushed the chain to offer concessions and bonuses, and this helped Cinemark in 2023 to record its highest concession sales of all time.

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However, the lawsuit alleges that Cinemark dupes its customers by shortchanging them on sales for the 24-ounce beverage cup instead of the 20-ounce beverage cup.

The reality is that consumers pay less for a 20-ounce cup, which is also a better deal than buying a 24-ounce beverage cup.

The complaint stated,

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“The size of the container in relation to the actual volume of the product contained in it was intended to mislead the consumer into believing the consumer was getting more of the product than what was in the container by a twelfth.”

The lawsuit was brought by Texas resident Shane Waldrop, who purchased a 24-ounce beverage cup in February which cost him $8.80 before tax.

However, on closer look, he realized that the cup was not large enough to hold 24 ounces. This was confirmed later when Shane took the cup home and found that it could contain only 22 ounces of liquid.

Thus, the consumer was duped 2 ounces for every cup he bought.

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The lawsuit charged the movie theater chain with neglectful falsification, deception, unjust profiteering, and a violation of Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act and asked for a court order to halt such practices.

Waldrop is seeking compensatory damages and also demanded a jury trial over the claims.

Also Read: Johnson Controls subsidiary Tyco Fire Products to pay $750 mn to settle ‘forever chemicals’ lawsuit

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Mukesh Ambani’s 67th Birthday: How He Built The Reliance Industries

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Mukesh Ambani Birthday

It is Mukesh Ambani’s 67th birthday, and today we will try to get to know about the incredible journey of this man who, with sheer determination and grit, has created one of the biggest conglomerates in the world.

Reliance Industries, which passed into his hands in the 2000s, grew at a pace which was phenomenal.

Born on April 19 to Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben in Aden, Yemen, where his father was based before moving back to India.

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Reliance Industries was already a big company, but its growth after Mukesh Ambani took on the reins was phenomenal.

With astute business acumen and strategic vision, Ambani has propelled Reliance Industries to dizzying heights, making it one of India’s most powerful empires.

It was under his stewardship that Reliance Industries diversified from being a petroleum company to enter other fields like Telecommunication and the Aerospace industry.

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The 5G revolution, which has swept the country, is largely due to the efforts of Mukesh Ambani and his company Jio. Jio offered high-speed and cheap internet services to the farthest corners of the company, and this helped it to capture a major chunk of the telecommunication sector. Today the nation’s population is using internet data in an unprecedented way.

Another diversification move was the entry of Reliance Industries into retail, energy, petrochemicals, and media. Reliance also acquired and invested in Future Group’s retail assets, as well as the creation of JioMart, an e-commerce venture.

Reliance also entered into a partnership with the Indian media company Viacom18 and the American entertainment giant Disney to create a joint venture, valued at $8.5 billion. The venture also gave exclusive rights to Reliance to distribute Disney productions in India.

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It is his futuristic vision which catalyzed Reliance Industries to invest heavily in the renewable energy sector. The company has built solar and wind energy farms and is contributing in a big way to help India achieve its renewable energy targets while lowering carbon emissions and environmental impact.

Again, it is his futuristic views which made him create the Jio Institute, which is a truly world-class educational institution dedicated to cutting-edge research and technical improvement. The stated motto of the institute is to help develop future leaders and innovators who will help the country grow to become a developed nation in the coming decades.

The phenomenal growth and success of Reliance Industry can be attributed to Mukesh’s keen sense to anticipate market trends, evolve as per changing consumer preferences, seize emerging possibilities, and produce products and services of the highest quality.

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As of April 19, 2024, according to Forbes, Mukesh Ambani’s net worth is to the tune of $115.8 billion, and he is ranked one of the top 10 wealthiest people in the world on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

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Net Worth

Pavel Durov Net Worth 2024: How Much is the Russian-born Emirati Entrepreneur Worth?

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Pavel Durov Net Worth 2024: How Much is the Russian-born Emirati Entrepreneur Worth?

Who is Pavel Durov?

Pavel Valeryevich Durov, born on October 10, 1984, is a Russian entrepreneur renowned for founding the social networking site VK and the Telegram Messenger. He is the younger sibling of Nikolai Durov. After stepping down as CEO of VK in 2014, Pavel, along with his brother, led a nomadic lifestyle in self-imposed exile, holding citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis. He is recognized for his contributions to the tech industry and his advocacy for user privacy.

Pavel Durov Career?

Durov’s journey in the tech industry began in 2006 when he co-founded VKontakte (VK), inspired by Facebook’s success. Under his leadership, VK flourished, reaching a valuation of $3 billion. However, conflicts with Russian authorities over user data led to his departure from VK in 2014. Subsequently, he focused on Telegram, emphasizing privacy and security, earning him acclaim as a tech visionary.

Pavel Durov’s Net Worth

As of 2024, Pavel Durov’s net worth is estimated to be an impressive $17 billion. His wealth stems from his pioneering work with Telegram and VK, propelling him into the upper echelons of the tech industry. Durov’s success serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide.

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Pavel Durov Age?

Pavel Durov, born on October 10, 1984, is currently 39 years old. Despite his relatively young age, he has achieved remarkable success in the tech world, demonstrating his entrepreneurial prowess and innovative thinking.

Pavel Durov Family: Parents

Pavel Durov’s father, Valery Semenovich Durov, is a distinguished academic with a Doctorate in Philological Sciences. His grandfather, Semyon Petrovich Tulyakov, was a decorated World War II veteran. Durov’s family background reflects a tradition of intellectual and academic excellence.

Pavel Durov Height and Weight

As of 2024, Pavel Durov stands at 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall and weighs approximately 163 pounds (74 kg). His physique, along with his intellect and entrepreneurial acumen, contributes to his charismatic presence and success in the business world.

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Also Read: Nasser Al-Khelaifi Net Worth 2024: How Much is the President of Paris Saint-Germain Worth?

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