Andrey Borodin donates £1m to NHS hospital
An exiled Russian banker who fled to the UK after being
accused of fraud has donated £1m to a hospital to help its response to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Andrey Borodin and his wife Tatiana made the
"overwhelmingly kind and generous donation" to the Royal Berkshire
Hospital to support staff.
The hospital said the cash would be used to create a
facility for staff to rest and access wellbeing services.
Mr Borodin fled to London in 2011 and was granted political
asylum in 2013.
Mr Borodin paid £140m for Park Place Estate, near
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, in 2011.
In a statement, the couple, whose children attended school
in Berkshire, said they hoped the money would "contribute in a way which
helps and supports" staff "now and in to the future".
"We sincerely thank the brave and selfless NHS workers
for their hard work and commitment.
"We understand that there are thousands of NHS workers
in our local community who go above and beyond in their patient care, and at
this time more than ever," they said.
Steve McManus, chief executive of the Royal Berkshire NHS
Foundation Trust, said: "This is an incredible donation at a very
challenging time, and we are extremely grateful to Andrey and Tatiana for their
generosity and thoughtfulness."
The BBC reported in 2013 Mr Borodin was being sought by
Russia over a 2010 criminal case.
Mr Borodin said the investigation had "not been
independent, objective, open-minded or fair" and he "knew that I
would not receive a fair trial".
"I will continue to vigorously defend all actions
against me in front of courts where I am confident of a fair and impartial
hearing," he said.
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