Leon Black, the billionaire financier and former chief executive of Apollo Global Management, has been ordered to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit accusing Bank of America of facilitating and profiting from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, according to NBC News. 

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff ruled Wednesday in New York that Black must provide sworn testimony later this month. The deposition is expected to last up to eight hours, with five hours for attorneys representing Epstein’s victims and three hours for the bank’s legal team, NBC said. 

The lawsuit was brought by women who allege that Bank of America played a role in supporting Epstein’s trafficking enterprise by providing banking services connected to him and people associated with him, according to the report. The plaintiffs argue the bank ignored suspicious transactions flowing through accounts tied to Epstein, his associates, and victims.

At the center of the dispute are transfers Black allegedly made to Epstein from a Bank of America account, including $170 million described as payment for “tax and estate planning advice.” The plaintiffs contend that the money was used to help fund Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, NBC said. 

On a conference call scheduled by Rakoff, Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for the victims, described Black as “a critical witness in this case,” NBC reported. It had not previously been known that Black would be deposed until the judge arranged the call.

Black is not a defendant in the case. He has denied wrongdoing and has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct.

In a previous settlement agreement between Black and the U.S. Virgin Islands, officials said “Epstein used the money Black paid him to partially fund his operations in the Virgin Islands.” That agreement was reached to avoid potential claims arising from Black’s relationship with Epstein, the news agency said.

Black’s deposition had originally been scheduled for Monday, but NBC said it was postponed at the request of his lawyer, Michael Carlinsky. During the conference call, Carlinsky told the judge: “My understanding is the parties are very close to resolving this dispute,” according to the report. 

Read more at NBC News