The ongoing battle between the widow of Russian oligarch Kakha Bendukidze and his purported daughter took a major turn when a British court awarded custody of samples to the daughter for DNA testing. The DNA dispute is key since the daughter would stand to inherit the majority of the estate under Georgian law with the widow taking only what is prescribed by law if a biological child exist. As a result, the widow stands to lose a massive fortune which has made the stakes in the case very high for all involved and lead to great bitterness between the two sides. The DNA is currently being held at Imperial College, London, but will be sent to Moscow for testing.
See, ‘Secret’ daughter of Georgian oligarch wins right to fight his widow for share of $1bn fortune, The Telegraph, October 28, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
