LONDON, November 3 - RAPSI, Vladimir Yaduta. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has been testifying in lawsuit filed by exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky for three days, said on Wednesday that millions of U.S. dollars were often given to Berezovsky in cash, the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reported from the London Court of Justice.

The court began hearing Berezovsky's $5.5 billion lawsuit against Abramovich on October 3. Berezovsky seeks compensation for assets he was forced to sell to Abramovich between 2000 and 2003.

Berezovsky claims in his lawsuit that Abramovich intimidated him and his business partner Badri Patarkatsishvili into selling a number of assets, including a 43-percent interest in the Sibneft oil company and a stake in the Rusal aluminum group, at a fraction of their value.

"Many payments were given in cash", Chelsea owner Abramovich said when answering the questions of Laurence Rabinowitz, a QC for Berezovsky, regarding the funds which were transferred by Abramovich or his organizations.

Abramovich said that out of $10 million Berezovsky asked for in the autumn of 1995, $5 million were in cash. Another $4 million were transferred by Abramovich's company Ruicom SA on the accounts of LogoVAZ, a car company set up by Berezovsky.

Abramovich also said that the money was always payable on demand and added that he knew where the money was transferred. He mentioned that "requests for money" were often made orally by Berezovsky himself or by his representatives.