Motives questioned over £10m will

The restaurateurs inherited most of Mrs Bechal's fortune

Restaurateurs who inherited £10m from a widow were motivated by self interest in their friendship, a witness claimed at a High Court challenge to a will.

Golda Bechal's former accountant Maurice Esterson said Kim Sing Man and his wife Bee Lian Man acted with "non-altruistic" motives.

Mr and Mrs Man, from Essex, handled Mrs Bechal's finances after dispensing with Mr Esterson's services in 1994.

The hearing, brought by Mrs Bechal's five nieces and nephews, continues.

Sandra Blackman, Barbara Green, Laurence Lebor, Louise Barnard and Mervyn Lebor are challenging their aunt's will of August 1994.

Family fall-out

After her death in 2004, most of her fortune was left to Mr and Mrs Man, who live in Great Leighs, Chelmsford, and run a Chinese restaurant in Witham.

Mrs Bechal's family are asking the judge, Sir Donald Rattee, to rule the will invalid because, they say, their aunt was suffering from serious dementia and "lacked testamentary capacity", meaning they would be entitled to her estate under intestacy laws.

Mr Esterson, who looked after Mrs Bechal's accounts and her late husband's portfolio of commercial properties, was dismissed after he arranged to lend £100,000 of her money to another of his clients as a short term mortgage.

He told the court she agreed to the deal, but became forgetful and the agreement was cancelled.

He denied a suggestion by Penelope Reed, counsel for the Mans, that he had only made the allegations about them because he was angry at having his retainer terminated.

The couple say they had been friends with Mrs Bechal and her late husband Simon for many years.

Ms Reed said Mrs Bechal had fallen out with her family because "they were only interested in her money".