A Polish man accused of murdering of his former partner's billionaire mother denied Thursday that he ordered the contract killing, in a trial that has gripped the French Riviera.
Monaco heiress Helene Pastor, 77, was gunned down in her car with a sawn-off shotgun in the neighbouring French city of Nice on May 6, 2014.
She and her driver, 64-year-old Mohammed Darwich, both died of their injuries after the attack in broad daylight.
Wojciech Janowski, the former partner of Pastor's daughter and Poland's honorary consul to Monaco at the time, is accused of ordering the hit.
The killing shocked the tiny principality of Monaco, where Pastor's family had built up a huge real estate portfolio of around 4,000 apartments.
Police quickly identified two men suspected of carrying out what they believe was a contract killing on behalf of Janowski.
Janowski initially admitting under police questioning to ordering the hit to get his hands on Pastor's estate, estimated at 12 billion euros ($14 billion). He later retracted his confession, saying he had misunderstood the questions.
But from the dock on Thursday the impeccably tailored, silver-haired businessman spoke easily in French while again denying any involvement in Pastor's death.
"I never ordered any operation whatsoever," he told the court in the French city of Aix-en-Provence.
"Show me the proof," he added.
- A 'big job' -
On Wednesday, his former personal trainer Pascal Dauriac told a very different story.
Dauriac, who coached Janowski and Pastor's daughter Sylvia Ratkowski for 13 years, told the court his ex-boss asked for his help in finding someone "to get rid of the old woman".
Dauriac said Janowski first broached the subject in 2012, saying Pastor was making her daughter's life a misery and asking: "Can you find a weapon to kill Mrs Pastor?"
The coach said he ignored the request at first but that Janowski brought the subject up again in 2013, when Sylvia, a cancer survivor, became ill.
Janowski is accused of having squirrelled away a large chunk of money given by Pastor to her daughter. Dauriac said Janowski feared the flow of money would dry up if Sylvia died.
"This cannot go on, Sylvia's illness has deteriorated, we have to get rid of the old woman. Can you help me?" Dauriac quoted Janowski as asking him.
Dauriac claimed Janowski plied him with gifts and free holidays to gain leverage over him and that he eventually gave in, asking his brother-in-law Abdelkader Belkhatir in nearby Marseille to help him find someone for a "big job" worth an alleged 140,000 euros ($165,000) in total.
He said his brother-in-law found two men for the job -- Al Hair Hamadi, who allegedly acted as lookout, and suspected gunman Samine Said Ahmed.
- 'World collapsed' -
Janowski dismissed that version of events Thursday, alleging that the person behind the murder was in fact Dauriac, who had threatened his family and demanded money for protection.
Janowski claimed he "never asked anything of Dauriac".
He said that when he confessed to investigators that he asked his coach "to solve the problem", he was merely asking him to put in a good word for him with people in Monaco, because his mother-in-law "badmouthed" him and Ratkowski.
He also said that he initially admitted guilt to protect Ratkowski, his partner of 28 years, with whom he has a daughter.
"The evidence accuses Dauriac, he has committed an unfathomable crime," Janowski said.
"There is not a single piece of evidence that I am guilty, nothing."
Hamadi and Ahmed were tracked down by police using security camera footage, mobile phone data and DNA from a bottle of shower gel left in a hotel room. Both deny the charges.
Ratkowski was initially questioned by police but ruled out as a suspect.
Testifying last week she said her "world collapsed" when Janowski allegedly told her a month after the killing that he ordered it.
"I've lost my mother and the man of my life," she said, in tears.
A total of 10 people are on trial in the case, which is set to run until October 19.
A Polish man accused of murdering of his former partner’s billionaire mother denied Thursday that he ordered the contract killing, in a trial that has gripped the French Riviera.
Monaco heiress Helene Pastor, 77, was gunned down in her car with a sawn-off shotgun in the neighbouring French city of Nice on May 6, 2014.
She and her driver, 64-year-old Mohammed Darwich, both died of their injuries after the attack in broad daylight.
Wojciech Janowski, the former partner of Pastor’s daughter and Poland’s honorary consul to Monaco at the time, is accused of ordering the hit.
The killing shocked the tiny principality of Monaco, where Pastor’s family had built up a huge real estate portfolio of around 4,000 apartments.
Police quickly identified two men suspected of carrying out what they believe was a contract killing on behalf of Janowski.
Janowski initially admitting under police questioning to ordering the hit to get his hands on Pastor’s estate, estimated at 12 billion euros ($14 billion). He later retracted his confession, saying he had misunderstood the questions.
But from the dock on Thursday the impeccably tailored, silver-haired businessman spoke easily in French while again denying any involvement in Pastor’s death.
“I never ordered any operation whatsoever,” he told the court in the French city of Aix-en-Provence.
“Show me the proof,” he added.
– A ‘big job’ –
On Wednesday, his former personal trainer Pascal Dauriac told a very different story.
Dauriac, who coached Janowski and Pastor’s daughter Sylvia Ratkowski for 13 years, told the court his ex-boss asked for his help in finding someone “to get rid of the old woman”.
Dauriac said Janowski first broached the subject in 2012, saying Pastor was making her daughter’s life a misery and asking: “Can you find a weapon to kill Mrs Pastor?”
The coach said he ignored the request at first but that Janowski brought the subject up again in 2013, when Sylvia, a cancer survivor, became ill.
Janowski is accused of having squirrelled away a large chunk of money given by Pastor to her daughter. Dauriac said Janowski feared the flow of money would dry up if Sylvia died.
“This cannot go on, Sylvia’s illness has deteriorated, we have to get rid of the old woman. Can you help me?” Dauriac quoted Janowski as asking him.
Dauriac claimed Janowski plied him with gifts and free holidays to gain leverage over him and that he eventually gave in, asking his brother-in-law Abdelkader Belkhatir in nearby Marseille to help him find someone for a “big job” worth an alleged 140,000 euros ($165,000) in total.
He said his brother-in-law found two men for the job — Al Hair Hamadi, who allegedly acted as lookout, and suspected gunman Samine Said Ahmed.
– ‘World collapsed’ –
Janowski dismissed that version of events Thursday, alleging that the person behind the murder was in fact Dauriac, who had threatened his family and demanded money for protection.
Janowski claimed he “never asked anything of Dauriac”.
He said that when he confessed to investigators that he asked his coach “to solve the problem”, he was merely asking him to put in a good word for him with people in Monaco, because his mother-in-law “badmouthed” him and Ratkowski.
He also said that he initially admitted guilt to protect Ratkowski, his partner of 28 years, with whom he has a daughter.
“The evidence accuses Dauriac, he has committed an unfathomable crime,” Janowski said.
“There is not a single piece of evidence that I am guilty, nothing.”
Hamadi and Ahmed were tracked down by police using security camera footage, mobile phone data and DNA from a bottle of shower gel left in a hotel room. Both deny the charges.
Ratkowski was initially questioned by police but ruled out as a suspect.
Testifying last week she said her “world collapsed” when Janowski allegedly told her a month after the killing that he ordered it.
“I’ve lost my mother and the man of my life,” she said, in tears.
A total of 10 people are on trial in the case, which is set to run until October 19.
