Mr Big's fast, but short life

A Villa on a Thai island, a nightclub in Brazil, a string of local mansions and a hidden treasure in Spain - Chris Couremetis indeed lived the high life up until he died in a hail of bullets almost a year ago.

And, it seems, the man known in underworld circles in Brazil as "Mr Big" had a most impressive property portfolio.

The 35-year-old was assassinated by hit men who pumped 18 bullets into him as he was leaving the wedding of his best friend, Victor Buntjelich, in Muldersdrift, west of Joburg, in October.

Until then, little was known about Couremetis's business interests. Now his grieving parents, Costas and Judy, are trying to unravel complex details of his assets in a bid to wind up his estate. His friend George Mihaljevic admitted this week that he "lived life to the fullest".

"The saying goes that everyone dies, but not everyone lives. Chris lived life. He only wanted the best, and everything he had was the best you could get," said Mihaljevic.

Couremetis left a trail of paperwork suggesting he owned or had interests in::

• A five-star villa called Samui Palace on Thong Krut island in Thailand;
• A multimillion-rand collection of cars, including a Ferrari and a Porsche Cayenne;
• A collection of watches, including six Rolexes, valued at more than R2-million;
• A home in the exclusive Icon complex in Hyde Park, Joburg, and another in Fresnaye, Cape Town; and
• A R7-million home in the Savoy in Bryanston, Joburg, where his neighbour was convicted druglord Glenn Agliotti.

Just weeks ago, his father, as executor of his estate, successfully claimed an unpaid debt of about R7-million from soccer boss Bobby Motaung.

He and his wife admitted this week that they were clueless about their son's true worth.

"We are a heartbroken family trying to live our lives without our son," they said in a statement. They said they cancelled an order he had placed for a black Ferrari 458 Italia.

Two of their son's Rolex watches were recovered from his safe , while one was stolen on the night of his murder and another a few months earlier during a robbery in Sandton.

On the night he was murdered, he wore a Rolex Yachtmaster II, and the hunt is now on for this unusual watch.

His parents are in the process of selling his Hyde Park home to settle an outstanding bond. They confirmed there was "some confusion over legal ownership" of the Savoy house.

Apart from pictures of a palatial compound in Spain, no one has so far been able to trace this property, while a close friend told people close to the investigation about the nightclub in Brazil. His parents were unaware of his links to Samui Palace in Thailand, saying that, as far as they were aware, it belonged to Couremetis's business partner, Daniel Smith.

But they confirmed he owned a stake in another villa in Thailand through a local partner.

The Sunday Times, meanwhile, has seen a string of documents, including official Rolex authentication certificates, rates bills and cellphone communication, detailing Couremetis's astonishing - and largely unexplained - wealth.

Among them was an invoice for furnishings to a property in Thailand, where he had been billed for 334850 THB (about R86000) for, among other things, 10 sunbeds with cushions, artwork, an oval swirl and a king-size bed.

The Samui Palace is available for rental through one of the upmarket agencies operating on Samui, Asia Luxury Lifestyles.

The villa is located on the beach in a quiet fishing village in the south of the island, with rates ranging from $800 a day in low season to $1800 a day during peak season.

The villa boasts a huge double-vaulted, open-plan living room, a sitting area with sumptuous sofas, a large dining table and an island breakfast bar. Foldaway glass doors open on to the expansive patio with its huge swimming pool and stunning views of the ocean. A representative from the company managing the villa, Adam Keating denied that Couremetis owned the Samui Palace and said ownership details of villas under their management were confidential.

However, the quotation for interior furnishings in December 2009 from Suzy Nina Design Company listed items totalling around R80000.

The Sunday Times tried to track down Nina this week, but she no longer lives on Koh Samui.

Couremetis was listed as a director of six companies, which included Sha Amalahle Transport, a company he co-owned with business partner Smith.

Repeated attempts to reach Smith were unsuccessful. On the day of the murder, Couremetis had a dinner date with Cuban fugitive Nelson Yester-Garrido, now a key suspect in a R300-million drug bust in Port Elizabeth last year.

Said Couremetis's parents on his alleged drug dealing: "As a family, we were never aware of any of the suggested involvement and stand firm on not accepting any of these allegations and claims without proof, which so far no one has been able or willing to provide."

They added that "nothing will change our love and respect, coupled to the wonderful memories we have of our son". But they also called on police to make a breakthrough in the murder investigation. - Additional reporting by Peter Malherbe in Thailand.