Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan has disputed claims by his former 27-year-old Russian wife, Rihana Oksana Voevodina, that he did not provide support for her towards the end of her "difficult" pregnancy.

Ex-wife left of her own accord

According to The Straits Times (ST), the Sultan's lawyer, Koh Tien Hua from Eversheds Harry Elias, has since sent a letter to British tabloid The Daily Mail, to clarify that the Sultan "did not abandon" his wife, but that rather, she had left of her own accord to return to Russia.

The letter added that it was also "untrue" that the Sultan had not given her money, as he had arranged for her to receive US$20,000 (S$27,518), which was more than the amount proposed for settlement.

It also pointed out that Oksana had been given a Porsche Cayenne, and jewellery including a Jacob Arabo ring, and items by the jeweller Cartier.

Offered money after she left

Additionally, Koh also wrote that the Sultan had offered Oksana "a significant and generous sum of money" from May 2019 to June 2019, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) further reported.

This money would have included paying for her medical fees and living expenses, and was made on the condition that Oksana preserved and protected the privacy of the Sultan.

Koh highlighted that Oksana then replied:

"Oksana, with her then lawyer, declined to accept the proposal and instead, informed [us] that a UK tabloid was prepared to pay her handsomely for her story."

Allegations are "untrue and false"

Koh also disputed several allegations made in the Daily Mail about the Sultan himself, such as:

• Spending several million dollars on yachts and nightclubs,
• Spending an average of 50 million pounds per year.

The lawyer stated, "this is untrue and false."

What did Oksana say?

During the Daily Mail interview, Oksana alleged:

• That she had to sell the precious Jacob Arabo ring for one-third its value, because she was strapped for cash for medical bills near the end of her pregnancy, and
• This money was then used to pay for her Swiss hospital costs for two months.
• The Sultan has also not any housing for her and her son.

Currently, Oksana is currently living in a rented apartment in Moscow while supporting her son on her own.

Will go to court in Russia to determine if the Sultan is really the father

The latest story by the Daily Mail on Oct. 10 has also revealed that she is set to go to court in Moscow to have the father of the baby determined.

The Daily Mail added that the Russian judge can then demand a DNA test from the monarch.

Should he refuse the test or fail to attend the hearing, the court will invariably accept the paternity claim.

Previously, the Sultan's lawyer had stated that “there is no objective evidence as yet as to the biological father of the child”.

Top image collage from Rihanapetra Instagram