The Supreme Court has upheld the Appeals Court’s verdict nullifying the will claimed to be made by former ambassador Vivath na Pompetch bequeathing 300 million baht of assets to the editor of a women’s magazine Sakchai Guy.
The Supreme Court’s final decision on the conflict over the heritage of the late ambassador between his descendants and Sakchai, editor of Lips magazine, was read out on Tuesday by the Civil Court.
The case was instituted to the Civil Court nine years ago by Mr Thirawat na Pompetch, a former history lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s arts faculty, challenging the validity of the will.
The 300 million baht worth heritage includes a three-rai plot of land in Thung Wat Don, Yan Nawa district with a building, a condominium unit at Garden Cliff condominium in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri.
The Civil Court ruled that Mr Vivath’s signatures in the will were authentic and the will was valid.
The Appeals Court however overturned the first court’s ruling on ground that the will was null and void.
The Supreme Court noted that the will was done in a suspicious manner based on the testimony given by Mr Visoot Kanchanapanyapong, managing director of Thammaniti law firm where the will was done.
The witness told the court that normally the law firm would video-tape the making of a will at the office but, in this particular case, there was no video-taping of the event and no pictures taken which the court found suspicious.
The court also noted that Mr Vivath’s signature affixed in the will was different from the signature which appeared on the envelope containing the will.
