THE PILOT: Bernie’s wife was behind mum-in-law kidnap not me THE TYCOON: He is talking rubbish..cops have done a first class job

Paulo on Friday, July 22 she was rescued unharmed by armed police in a house in Cotia west of the city. According to Faria, before news of the kidnapping was made public, he claims Fabiana told police she suspected him.

“When the first ransom email was sent to Fabiana she was in Hungary,” he said. “It asked for three helicopters to deliver the ransom.

“The kidnappers used a Portuguese phrase for the helicopters call sign which because I am Portuguese she thought it must have been me.

“She knew I’d have previously been accused of taking a helicopter without consent, which was not true, but she began pointing the finger at me.

“Before news had broken of the kidnapping I had received a message on Facebook on the Saturday morning asking if I knew anything about it. I hadn’t heard a thing. How would they know I knew the family, I kept asking myself ? I contacted Fernanda (Fabiana’s sister) to tell her and asked if I should go to the police. She said she hadn’t heard and told me not to say anything. It didn’t make sense.

“According to my lawyers, the mother-in-law sent an email to Fabiana when she was at the Hungarian Grand Prix on the Friday telling her she had been kidnapped and she shouldn’t involve the police.

“The email was sent an hour and a half before she was actually taken.”

Mr Ecclestone said it was untrue Fabiana received the message before her mother was kidnapped.

“The police have gone through all these things, and it’s clear he’s talking complete rubbish,” he said.

Faria, who was sentenced in a judge-only trial, claims after the rescue, 16 police officers were bought homes while 11 were treated to a VIP day at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Mr Ecclestone laughed off the claims, adding it was “ridiculous”.

Faria, an ex-champion horseman, was close to Fabiana, knowing her long before she married Mr Ecclestone in August 2012.

While working for the Brazilian Grand Prix Federation, she got to know the pilot as he flew VIPS to the Interlagos racetrack.

Faria was charged with not only flying Ecclestone but Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Pele, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

But his contract flying the stars came crashing down after Fabiana fell out with him.

“I know two sides of Fabiana. Before she married she was humble. Once she became rich, she thought she could buy anything she wanted,” he said. “The turning point came when Fabiana took her dog to the UK.

“I flew her to the airport where she was due to catch a private jet. She left her baggage on the helicopter to get her passport checked.

“One of her bags began barking. I realised she had her dog inside, her Yorkshire terrier.

“I told Fabiana it was wrong. She didn’t like being challenged, and after that I never worked for her again.”

Mr Ecclestone refuted Faria’s claim. “Again it is utter rubbish,” he said.

One thing they do agree on is the pilot was once close to Fabiana.

“He seemed such a straightforward and nice enough guy,” said the billionaire. “I couldn’t believe it was him early on.”

Faria said: “I classed her as a friend. Her sister invited me to her wedding.”

The father-of-four owned airport security and cleaning businesses but he says his family are nearly penniless. Mr Ecclestone believes that Faria, who says he suffers from failing health, is making up his claims in order to be released under house arrest.

He added: “He’s going to do whatever he can to get out. If he gets out, he will go straight to Portugal.

“He did this for money, 124 million euros (£112million) and as I’ve said before many times, no one’s going to give that much for a mother-in-law.”

PILOT’S KIDNAP CLAIM ON