Estranged husband of Cecilia Haddad wins estate court battle
SLAIN Brazilian mining executive Cecilia Haddad’s estranged husband will be entitled to all of her estate after her father today conceded the pair’s marriage was still in place at the time of her alleged murder.
NSW
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SLAIN Brazilian Cecilia Haddad’s estranged husband will be entitled to the entirety of her estate after her father conceded in court that she was still married to him when she died.
Jose Ibrahim Haddad had been locked in a court battle with his daughter’s estranged husband Felipe Torres over the mining executive’s estate but today at the NSW Supreme Court that came to an end.
“The father concedes that the marriage between the deceased and the defendant was in place and the husband is entitled to the estate,” Shauna Jarrett, acting for Mr Haddad, said.
The court had previously been told that Ms Haddad and Mr Torres had began begun divorce proceedings last November but they may not have been finalised.
The Supreme Court had previously heard that the couple separated in 2016.
Last month Ms Haddad’s father was granted “Special Letters of Administration” to search her apartment for a possible will.
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But then on June 29, Mr Torres, who had flown from Perth to identify her body in April, also made an application to the court claiming “an interest in her estate”.
Neither man is suspected of any involvement in her death.
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The court has previously heard that Ms Haddad may have left a $1.8 million life insurance policy as well as superannuation, two investment properties and an off-the-plan property.
Craig Birtles, acting for Mr Torres, said that the completion of the purchase of the off-the-plan unit in Ryde was one remaining aspect “which may “give rise to a further issue of urgency”.
The matter will return to court on August 27.
Ms Haddad’s body was found in the Lane Cove River on April 29.
Her former lover, Mario Marcelo Santoro, 40, who left Australia for Brazil the weekend she died, has been charged with murder by Brazilian police and remains behind bars overseas accused of strangling her.
Fabio Cardoso, from Rio’s homicide division, said that police believed Ms Haddad was killed by “mechanical asphyxiation” after Mr Santoro was “not accepting” of their breakup.