Money isn't everything
April 15th 2009 11:47
They were a young couple determined to live a better life than the tough rural existence their parents had known. It was January 2007 and Cristina Simoes, then 20, and Luis Ribeiro, then 23, of Portugal, were planning a good life together.
They studied hard and left little to luck, although they were not against giving luck a chance by having a weekly flutter on the lottery. The lottery in which they bought a ticket every Friday was a giant pan-European one, offering massive prizes.
In early 2007, Cristina and Luis won €15 million (US$19.9 million). That's when their troubles started.
That week, Cristina had called Luis to buy an extra ticket when he placed their normal bet of €4, and it was the extra ticket which won. Cristina says that she paid Luis back the €2 for it.
Cristina and Luis picked up the prize, opened a joint bank account, and deposited the cheque.
The bank account, for an unexplained reason, was partly controlled by Cristina's parents who, also for reasons not yet explained, refused Luis permission to withdraw any of the money.
Confusion was followed by acrimony. The relationship of the young couple disintegrated. Luis took the case to court. The judge, failing to unravel things on the spot, froze the bank account. More than two years later, it remains frozen.
Cristina says she wants all the money. She says Luis lied to her. She is continuing her studies but has become convinced that someone will kidnap her for her money.
Luis says he wants half the money. He still gets up at 6am every day to milk the cows on his parents' property before going to university.
Attempts to reach agreement broke down again a few weeks ago when Cristina failed to appear in court. The judges will now decide.
guardian.co.uk
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