TWO sisters accused of murdering their dad for his £7million fortune by their half-brothers have cleared their names after an eight-year battle.
Helen and Alexandra Veevers, both 36, were accused of poisoning their dad, Harry Veevers, after he passed away at his home in Kenya nearly a decade ago.
Jerome STARKEYThe case concluded that there was no concrete evidence showing anyone was responsible for Harry Veevers’ death[/caption]
The pair claimed he died of natural causes following a heart attack – however, their older half-siblings Richard, 47, and Philip, 45, accused them and mum Azra Parvin Din, 75, of murder in a ruse to rob his millions.
The sisters from Manchester were adamant the allegations made against them were part of a plot to deny them their inheritance.
The letter believed to have had Harry’s final wishes went missing from a Barclays bank safety deposit box which only added to the tensions.
Kenyan authorities held Mr Veevers’ body for 11 months as part of their investigation into the brothers’ claims, according to the Mail on Sunday.
An inquest in Mombasa was launched to determine whether the dad had been poisoned.
Experts analysed tissue and soil samples, which drew conflicting results.
Helen, Alexandra and Azra were facing the frightening reality of spending their lives in a Kenyan jail – said to have some of the worst prison conditions worldwide.
After eight long years, the case finally concluded and the trio were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Alexandra said she felt her “heart beat out of [her] chest” as Magistrate Charles Ndegwa’s assessment was read to the court.
The official said: “Lastly, and most importantly, no concrete evidence has been adduced to show that anyone was criminally responsible for the death of the deceased.
“In the circumstances, I direct the court file be closed.”
The sisters say the Mr Ndegwa’s statement did not begin to ease the horrors they’ve gone through in the last eight years.
Helen and Alexandra are now considering their next moves.
Helen said: “We will come to court and testify.
“We were really scared all the way through.
“Some days I was so anxious I would wake up with my nails imprinted into the palm of my hand from clenching my fists during the night.
“But we’re not giving up.”
The pair said they would push for a police investigation into the false accusations made by their half-brothers.
They claim the ordeal has put them through horrific stress and has destroyed their personal lives due to the horrendous crime they were accused of committing.
Alexandra said: “The emotional and psychological impact has been enormous.
“For all these years, we have had to live with the awful fear of being jailed in Kenya for something we haven’t done.
“It’s hard to imagine much worse than being wrongly accused of murdering our father, a man we all loved dearly.”
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