Saudi billionaire denied diplomatic immunity in UK maintenance battle
A Saudi billionaire’s plea of diplomatic immunity, exploited to avoid his former wife’s claim for maintenance, has been branded as “spurious” and struck down by the high court.
Christina Estrada, a one-time Pirelli calendar girl, is seeking a multimillion-pound share of Sheikh Walid Juffali’s estimated £4bn fortune after 13 years of marriage and the birth of a daughter.
Juffali, 60, said he had already provided them with a generous settlement, and his diplomatic status shielded him from financial claims in the courts.
But Mr Justice Hayden, sitting in the family division of the high court in London, described the diplomatic immunity defence as “spurious” and refused to dismiss Estrada’s claim.
Juffali’s legal team indicated he would appeal. The businessman said he acquired...