Africa

BORIS Becker’s lawyer has said that the three-time Wimbledon champion was doing well, given the circumstances as he approached six months in a British prison over bankruptcy offences.

Lawyer Christian-Oliver Moser also told dpa it was yet to be decided whether Becker would be extradited to his native Germany after serving his term behind bars.

The Southwark Crown Court sentenced the former world number one tennis player on April 29 to two-and-a-half years of imprisonment for hiding 2.5 million pounds (3.14 million dollars) worth of assets.

Also loans to avoid paying his debts after being declared bankrupt in 2017.

Becker, 54, is now at Huntercombe prison, an institution for foreign nationals which has a lower security level than the Wandsworth prison where he spent the first weeks.

“Our client, Boris Becker, is still doing well given the circumstances and he fits constructively into everyday prison life,’’ his German lawyer Moser said.

He said Becker could make phone calls and communicate with the outside world at any time.

But he did not want to go into further details such as whether Becker was doing sport there or other activities, citing privacy reasons.

It remained unclear whether Becker could leave the prison next year as the verdict said he should serve half of the sentence with the remaining 15 months on probation.

It was also unclear whether he can stay in the UK.

Becker has been living in London for 10 years but doesn’t have British citizenship.

He worked as BBC pundit at Wimbledon in the past.

The Home Office has only said that every foreigner who has been sentenced to a prison term in Britain could face extradition.

Moser said it was unclear at the moment whether and possibly when he would be extradited to Germany and added that “there are no concrete plans about his future private residence. (dpa/NAN)

A.I

Tags: Boris Becker Christian-Oliver Moser