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Tatiana Borodin and her husband Andrey Borodin pictured in 2014
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.
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The money will help staff battling the coronavirus at Royal Berkshire Hospital
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.