My wife jetted off with our jewellery
Tycoon accuses ex of f leeing with fortune in private plane
WHEN a marriage crumbles, dividing up the family valuables can be a difficult – and very lengthy – process.
But shipping tycoon Minos Kyriakou, one of the richest men in Greece, claims his wife blatantly short-circuited the procedure – by commandeering his jet, filling it with items worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and ordering the family pilot to fly to London.
Lawyers for Mr Kyriakou, 74, claimed in the High Court that his glamorous 45-year-old actress wife Marie may now have sold some of the loot. Auctioneers Christie’s, a Mayfair jewellers and a safe deposit facility have been ordered by a judge to disclose any dealings they may have had with her.
The tycoon was said in court to have amassed a lavish collection of jewellery, silver, crystal and carpets. It was not specified exactly what has disappeared, but sources close to Mr Kyriakou said the list of missing jewellery includes rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and belts.
‘These items are gold and silver and have stones which, at their most valuable, include diamonds,’ said one source.
Other items include paintings, religious icons, sets of silver cutlery and antique clocks. A set of ‘documents’ is also said to be missing.
Mr Kyriakou, the former president of the Greek Olympic Committee, is the founder and owner of ANT1 Group, a media company that owns one of the oldest TV channels in Greece. He and Marie married in 2004.
Friends have said that Mrs Kyriakou grew increasingly embarrassed by talk of the age difference between them.
And it was claimed that a decision to axe a talk show she hosted on her husband’s TV channel left her ‘humiliated’.
Reports in the Greek media have suggested that they had decided on a divorce – which is not yet finalised – based on mutual consent.
But talks had started to go wrong over the past few months and Mrs Kyriakou is said to have told close friends and relatives that she decided to ‘take what was due’ to her.
The High Court heard that, two weeks before Mrs Kyriakou filed for divorce on February 22, she was seen by a member of staff packing up a number of valuable items, in 25 to 30 boxes, and moving them out of the family home in Athens. At the time her husband was away from home receiving medical treatment.
Alan Maclean QC said: ‘On February 8, at Mrs Kyriakou’s request, the family’s pilot flew her to London in Mr Kyriakou’s private jet.
‘She took with her four large heavy pieces of luggage, including a red cabin suitcase in protective black wrapping.’
He said that the pilot glimpsed inside one bag and noticed it was ‘filled with valuables’.
It is alleged Mrs Kyriakou made a series of visits to Christie’s, Metropolitan Safe Deposits in Knightsbridge, and JS Jewels Ltd, in South Molton Street, Mayfair. All three companies are named as respondents in the case.
The court heard that Mrs Kyriakou left Athens with 70kg (154lb) of luggage but when she returned to Athens it weighed 10kg (22lb).
Mr Maclean said: ‘It seems very likely that a large number of valuable chattels were transported by Mrs Kyriakou to London, which she did not take back to Greece.’
The couple were not in court and could not be reached for comment last week.
A Christie’s spokesman said: ‘We have been asked to provide information by the courts and are co-operating.’
John Souglides, owner of JS Jewels Ltd, said: ‘We have to comply with the court order. Lawyers are handling it. I’m not worried.’ He declined to say if he had sold any of the items.
The pilot saw a bag ‘filled with valuables’