Rybolovleva rushes back to teenage daughter in Switzerland

Elena Rybolovleva, the 48-year-old estranged wife of former fertiliser tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev, has been handed her passport back by Cyprus authorities and allowed to return to her teenage daughter in Switzerland after being questioned about a $25 mln diamond ring.
Rybolovleva was held at Larnaca airport when she arrived on the island on Monday after her billionaire ex sought an arrest warrant to get her to return the ring, which he says is the property of a Cyprus trust he set up to benefit their daughters, socialite Ekaterina, 24, and Anna, 13.
Elena insists that the ring is hers and that Dmitry, current owner of AS Monaco FC and a portfolio of elegant properties around the world, including the Skorpios island he bought from the Onassis trust for $100 mln, gave it to her six years ago. Soon after, a divorce battle erupted in Swiss courts where the ex-wife is seeking $3.5 bln of his estimated wealth of nearly $9 bln.
Her lawyers, Pelaghias, Christodoulou, Vrachas LLC and Marios Orphanides, countered Rybolovlev’s criminal complaint filed by the trustees of the Cyprus-registered “Domus Trust” created in 2010. They said “Elena was questioned by the police authorities of Cyprus upon her arrival in the country (on Monday).”
“At stake was the alleged ‘theft’ of a precious diamond ring offered to her by her husband in March 2008 while they were still living together.
“Mrs. Rybolovleva provided the Cypriot police with all the relevant documents proving her sole and legitimate ownership on the piece of jewellery.”
Reports suggest Elena appeared before Limassol police again on Thursday on the behest of Bolton Trustees, acting on behalf of the Cyprus-registered Domus, where she concluded her deposition and was handed her passport back on the condition that she would return to the island if and when Cyprus police would ask her. The reports added that Cyprus police are continuing their investigation into the matter and that the Swiss authorities have also been informed.
Meanwhile, the Russian legal database RAPSI, reported that Rybolovlev has won a lawsuit filed by Elena in connection with a Hawaiian property.
Reportedly, the First Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii entered a final judgment on February 11 in favour of Rybolovlev and other defendants.
The court thus dismissed the complaint filed in Hawaii by Rybolovleva, who in turn released and withdrew a notice of lis pendens she had earlier filed in connection with the Hawaiian property, according to RAPSI.
Courthouse News reported in August that Rybolovleva had sued her ex-husband in Hawaii over allegations that he had used a “sham” company to buy a $20 mln Kauai property in contravention of a freeze order issued by the Supreme Court of Switzerland.