Wife of Russian oligarch who hid her £1million handbag collection in serious divorce battle worth tens of millions is accused by judge of leading court ‘on a merry dance’

The wife of a Russian oligarch who hid her £1 million handbag collection during serious divorce battle worth tens of millions has been charged by the judge with leading the court ‘on a merry dance’.

Elsina Khayrova, 36, a former model and the daughter of a Russian MP, and her husband Dmitry Tsetkov, 42, are involved in a bitter battle over the multimillion-pound assets, the Telegraph reports.

The couple separated last year after more than ten years of marriage when Ms. Khayrova filed for divorce from her husband.

They have assets, including a plethora of properties, including a £22 million mansion on the Wentworth estate in Surrey and houses in London worth £18 million.

In addition to their car, jewelery and art collections, they also own properties in both Dubai and Cyprus worth millions of pounds.

The court was also told how Mr Tsvetkov (pictured), an entrepreneur who first came to the UK in 2004 and was issued a British passport and a permanent residence permit five years later, has been unable to pay ‘meaningful sums to earn money. since June 2022

As part of their net worth, Ms. Khayrova has not included her large handbag collection of over 150 bags worth nearly £1 million.

At a hearing in February this year, she lied and said she only owned about 20 handbags and repeated that lie in court in May 2023.

She also downplayed the bags, according to the judge, saying it would be disproportionate to even have them appraised.

Mr Justice Peel said in his Supreme Court verdict that the case was ‘tainted from start to finish with (Ms Khayrova’s) dishonesty’.

He added that she “led the court on a happy dance about handbags” by lying about the assets.

Mrs Khayrova does the daughter of Rinat Khayrov, a Russian politician who worked in the country’s defense ministry before being elected to parliament in 2011, where he served until 2021.

When she divorced her husband in 2020, Ms. Khayrova quickly prevented Mr. Tsvetkov’s access to their family’s bank accounts and credit cards, the court heard.

She also transferred some of their property in Cyprus to her mother’s name, which the judge said was an “obvious attempt” to take assets out of her husband’s reach.

Mr Justice Peel ruled that the ‘greater responsibility for this expensive court case’ fell on Ms Khayrova (pictured left) who was ordered to pay half of her husband’s legal bill of £1,761,488

As part of their valuable jewelery collection, the couple own investment-grade diamonds and a Patek Phillipe watch, which were kept in a safe at Harrods.

The key to the box had Mr. Tsvetkov, but Ms. Khayrova convinced the staff at the store that the keys were lost and got herself a set without telling her husband and later omitted the items from the evidence, the Supreme Court ruled told.

The court was also told how Mr Tsvetkov, an entrepreneur who first came to the UK in 2004 and was issued a British passport and indefinite leave to stay five years later, has been denied “meaningful sums of money” since June 2022 can earn more. .

This is due to Ms. Khayrova blocking his access to the family’s bank accounts, the court heard.

But Mr Justice Peel said he was optimistic that the “smart, resourceful and well-connected” Mr Tsvetkov could soon start trading again.

Ms. Khayrova, on the other hand, did not work during the marriage and tried to set up a coffee business during the failed divorce proceedings.

“There is no real indication that her next business proposal, a private membership beauty club, is likely to be financially fruitful,” the judge said.

Mr Justice Peel ruled that the ‘greater responsibility for this expensive court case’ fell on Ms Khayrova, who was ordered to pay half of her husband’s legal bill of £1,761,488.