A Greek-Australian woman allegedly left $800,000 to the ‘Ark of the World’ charity in Greece, which is currently embroiled in an investigation relating to misconduct and the abuse of children.
However, the authenticity of the handwritten testament which directed the funds be donated to the non-profit is being disputed by her close relatives and original heirs.
According to Greek publication Proto Thema, Francesca Pais ostensibly revoked her first will; which stated that her property be inherited by her sister and family, who cared for her on her return to Greece after the death of her husband Andy in 2000.
Facing serious health problems, Ms Pais sold her family home in Sydney’s suburbs and soon after returned to Greece at the age of 70 to live with her sister Dimitra Pantoleon and her three children, Georgios, Maria and Dionysis.
Ms. Pais lived with her relatives in their family home until her death in 2009.
Her nephew Giorgos Dimitroulas told Proto Thema that “we looked after our aunt as if she were our mother.”
“Our relationship with her was perfect, she had her own room, living independently while at the same time receiving care from all the family not lacking the slightest thing,” the nephew said.
On 11 March 2005 Francesca Pais drew up her original will at the notary office of Archontissa Mavrodimitraki in the town of Koropi just south-east of Athens. It stated that her sister Dimitra should be her sole heir.
At that time Ms. Pais had roughly half a million euros split between three banks in Australia, Greece and the United States.
She further specified that in the event her sister did not or could not accept the inheritance, it should be distributed among her sisters’ children equally, stating in her will “they are excellent, I love them very much.”
When asked by the notary if she wished to donate any of her possessions to charity Mr. Pais responded that she did not.
But five years later, a few months before her death, a second informal handwritten will was made. In just 50 words Francesca Pais supposedly annulled the first, leaving the entirety of her fortune to the Ark of the World charity.
The sudden change in Ms. Pais’ decision came as a surprise to her sister and her family.
“However, we accepted it, we didn’t challenge her, if she changed her mind that was something we respected,” said her nephew Giorgos.
When asked whether during her last years in Greece there was a chance she had been approached by representatives from the charity, her nephew gave a clear response.
“She knew about them through their advertisements on television which made a good impression on her, but nothing more.”
“We have doubts as to whether the handwriting in her second testament is authentic. When we started to hear about the charity’s misconduct we were shocked… we began to suspect that our aunt may have been a victim of it as well,” he explained.
Ms. Pais’ relatives have turned to legal action to contest the veracity of the second will.
The Pantoleon family’s lawyer Mrs. Anthoula Anasoglou, told Proto Thema that details which came to light through complaints against the charity indicate that a number of its members had conspired to defraud vulnerable members of the community.
Mrs. Anasoglou contends “they were persuaded through deceit and deception to either draw up wills or revoke earlier ones and donate all their belongings to the Ark foundation, disinheriting close relatives, even their own children.”
“In the case of my clients the fact that this second will is a forgery is obvious. It was created without a witness nor any detailed description of the property to be passed on. It does not even mention the previous notarised will, or suggest that it should be revoked,” she said.
The organisation and its founder Fr. Antonios Papanikolaou have been under ever mounting scrutiny of late as accusations of fraud, money laundering, sexual and physical abuse have been brought against Ark of the World.
Last month police raided one of the charity’s properties in Chios owing to reports of discrepancies in the branch’s financial management.
Their finances have been under close inspection since a formal investigation was launched by Greece’s National Ombudsman. Allegations of misconduct extend all the way to the top of the organisation’s hierarchy.
These revelations have rocked public opinion in Greece, once one of the nation’s most respected charitable organisations, it has over its history received many anonymous contributions from prominent figures across Greek society.
Now, it instead faces the ire of the public who demand to know whether these various allegations are founded, and are calling on Greece’s judiciary to find out.
