MOSCOW, July 3 - RAPSI. The Basmanny District Court invited businessman Alexander Lebedev to serve him a summons on July 16 to the High Court of Justice in London, which is to try a defamation lawsuit lodged by developer Sergei Polonsky, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency on Tuesday.

Lebedev has so far tried to avoid receiving the case documents.

Polonsky's counsel had to service him the summons in 2011 in a Moscow club.

Lebedev punched Polonsky in the face during a debate on the NTV television channel on September 16. Polonsky later showed a bruise on his hand and his torn jeans.
However, Lebedev said he only pushed Polonsky.

Lebedev was previously a KGB agent in London. He owns a string of newspapers, including The Independent and London Evening Standard. He also owns the National Reserve Bank.

Polonsky was ranked Russia's fortieth richest man with a fortune of $4.35 billion by Forbes magazine in 2008. Polonsky formerly headed Mirax Group, a large property developer that went bankrupt during the global economic downturn.