LONDON, October 31 - RAPSI. The London Court of Justice is overcrowded with journalists, lawyers and visitors on Monday as Russian oligarch and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich prepares to testify in Boris Berezovsky's $5.5 billion case against him, RIA Novosti reports.

The court began hearing the exiled Russian businessman's $5.5 billion lawsuit against Abramovich on October 3. He seeks compensation for a number of assets he was forced to sell to Abramovich between 2000 and 2003.

The court will finish hearing Berezovsky's witnesses by the close of the month, as he was the first to present his side of the case. The court is expected to finish cross examining his last witnesses on Monday. Abramovich will then take the stand to testify in the case.

Throngs of journalists and photographers occupied the courtroom and viewing rooms, where online video and text broadcasts will be held early in advance.
By the time the hearing started, the building was overcrowded, and some journalists had to sit on the floor in the press room.

Although it was earlier reported that Abramovich would speak Russian while testifying, it is unclear if Russian-speaking journalists will be allowed to listen to his own words, or rather a simultaneous interpretation of his speech.

Berezovsky arrived to the court not long before Abramovich.

His only words to the crowd of journalists were: "I'm glad Arsenal beat Chelsea last weekend."