Woman says he duped her out of nearly £750,000
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A Chiswick surgeon is being sued by a woman who claims she acted under 'presumed undue influence' when giving him nearly £750,000.
Gabriella Adler-Jensen, a 64 year old widow of West Kensington, says that Ashraf Kamal Elnazir became a svengali type figure in her life. She told the High Court that the specialist colonic surgeon even persuaded her to get rid of her cats. She said, “I simply did what he asked me. I know it sounds crazy but I did.” He became involved in her financial affairs after the death of her husband in 2002 and it was claimed that over the course of the next few years the bulk of her wealth was transferred to Dr Elnazir.
She says he persuaded her to become involved in a property deal in Cairo through one of the joint accounts that the held. He asked her to transfer £220,000 to an account in Egypt to pay for the deal. When she visited Egypt with Dr. Elnazir she was told that planning restrictions had stopped the property being built.
The two parties are also in dispute over a series of property transactions. Dr. Elnazir claims that Mrs. Adler-Jensen owes him £79,000 commission for helping her to sell her flat for £785,000 in 2004. She bought his flat in the same building for £429,000 but claims it was significantly overvalued and wants the return of the difference. The flat was kept in both their names.
In 2003 she paid for a £7,000 holiday for Dr. Elnazir but claims that he was aggressive and abusive towards her during the trip to the point where she booked an early flight home.
Dr. Elnazir says that the property investment decision were initiated by Mrs. Alder-Jensen as was the decision to get rid of her cats. He says he was not the beneficiary of the accounts that the money was transferred into in Egypt.
The trial continues.
October 31, 2007