The case was opened as part of the trial between Rybolovlev, art dealer Bouvier and their friend Rappo. The latter filed a complaint against the businessman’s lawyer’s attempt to include a recording of a private conversation in the case; no crime was found in this.

Monaco has dropped a criminal case against Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev (net worth, according to Forbes, $6.4 billion), which was initiated as part of a conflict between him, Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier and their mutual friend, Monaco resident Tanya Rappo. The publication Monaco-Matin writes about this; the information was confirmed to RBC by the official representative of the businessman.

The trial lasts almost nine years. Rappo introduced the businessman and the art dealer in the early 2000s, when Rybolovlev wanted to collect an art collection. They collaborated for almost ten years.

Rybolovlev filed a fraud claim against Bouvier in January 2015 (this case has already been dismissed). It included an amount of $1 billion, the businessman accused Bouvier of selling paintings at inflated prices and making “incredible profits,” and Rappo of “taking advantage of her role as an intermediary to get extremely rich.”

As evidence of cooperation between Bouvier and Rappo, in February 2017, Rybolovlev’s side was going to present an audio recording that “was made during a private dinner at Dmitry Rybolovlev’s house in Monaco on February 23, 2015.” Two days after this dinner, Rappo and Bouvier were arrested.

Rybolovlev’s lawyer, Tatyana Bersheda, appeared to hand over the recording to the public security authorities. Rappo responded by filing a complaint against the lawyer for violating the right to respect for private and family life. Billionaire and former Prosecutor General of Monaco Jean-Pierre Drenault was accused of complicity. Monaco-Matin notes that after this an examination of Bersheda's phone was carried out.

“On November 15, the investigating judges leading this case, Frank Vuau and Ludovic Leclerc, issued a decision to dismiss the cases against Dmitry Rybolovlev and Jean-Pierre Drenault. The decisions entered into legal force on November 22, at the end of the appeal period,” the Monaco-Matin publication said. It also said Rappo withdrew her complaint, but her lawyer declined to comment to the publication.

Rybolovlev's lawyers Tom Jacquardi and Martin Reynaud explained that the case against Rybolovlev was dropped due to the lack of evidence of a crime. The billionaire declared his innocence; there were “no facts to bring him to justice.” “There will be no trial of Dmitry Rybolovlev. He is finally acquitted,” the defenders concluded.

However, the case against Bersheda is not closed; it will be considered by the court. The lawyer denied that she had "made even the slightest mistake in these proceedings" and the prosecution asked that the case against her be dropped. Bersheda's lawyer noted in a conversation with Monaco-Matin that his client's innocence is expected to be confirmed at trial.