A TYCOON who paid for his divorce with a property fraud after his wife left him for Cesc Fabregas has been ordered to pay back £1.3million.

Elie Taktouk married Lebanese model Daniella Semaan in 1998 but they split 13 years later when she dumped him for the ex-Arsenal star.

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Elie Taktouk carried out a property fraud after divorcing Daniella Semaan
 

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She is now married to Cesc FabregasCredit: Instagram
During a bitter divorce battle, Taktouk lost the £5.5million marital home in Belgravia to his ex and her new partner.

The 50-year-old was then jailed for seven years in 2021 over a multi-million pound property fraud.

He was ordered to pay £4.5million in a confiscation ruling two years later following the scam.

A judge ruled Taktouk should serve eight years in jail consecutive to his seven year sentence if the money was not paid in default.

But Taktouk successfully appealed against that order at the Court of Appeal – although was unable to block the £5.5million sale of his former family home to his ex and Fabregas.

He has now been ordered to pay £1.3million at a new confiscation hearing.

Kennedy Talbot KC, prosecuting, said: “I am very pleased to say we have reached an agreement which I should tell your honour about.

“This agreement that we have reached is that the court should consider making a confiscation order in the sum of £1.3m.

“This figure is between what it is that Mr Taktouk says is available to him and what it is that he would have to prove that he does not have – that is £4.5million.”

The court heard previously how Taktouk’s dad Youssef Taktouk was one of the richest men in Ibadan, Nigeria, and was worth around £187million.

Both he and brother Dr Wassim Taktouk were shareholders in his father’s company Wasseli.

The prosecutor said Dr Wassim, as the executor of his father’s will, has “agreed to charge his property for the payment of £1.3million”.

He told the court that the revised figure would make “certain” that the confiscation order “would be paid”.

Taktouk was convicted of 11 counts of fraud and forgery offences relating to a failed property redevelopment in Knightsbridge.

The director of JMT Property Ltd was privately prosecuted by property developer Adrian Noël and his father Frank.

They had made an initial investment to buy the property – and then made ten additional investments at Taktouk’s request for works to be done while he was project manager.

But he used the cash to fund his extravagant lifestyle to the tune of £2.5million – although the total loss was believed to be £3,237,347.

Taktouk has two children from his marriage to model Daniella.

She and ex-Chelsea star Fabregas first met in Japanese restaurant Nozomi in 2013 – sparking a bitter divorce battle.