Feng shui adviser loses billionaire's will appeal
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Nina Wang (left), late Hong Kong billionaire, and Tony Chan, Feng Shui adviser. |
The Court of Appeal in Hong Kong rejected an appeal on Monday from feng shui adviser Tony Chan Chun-chuen who had asked it to overturn a previous ruling that blocked his way to the massive fortune of the late billionaire Nina Wang.
Judge Anthony Rogers, who read out the court's judgment, said Chan had persisted in pursuing "a thoroughly dishonest case" and abused the process of the court. He said all three judges had "no hesitation in dismissing this appeal".
The court also ordered Chan to pay costs, which are likely to be around HK$200 million ($25.7 million).
The appeal followed a ruling in February 2010 that said Chan had forged a will in a bid to claim Wang's multi-billion-dollar estate. The earlier decision called for her fortune to go to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, a charity that was founded by Wang and is now chaired by her brother, Kung Yan-sum.
Wang, whose maiden name was Kung Yu-sum and who was also known as "Little Sweetie" because of her girlish outfits and pigtail hairdo, died in 2007 aged 70.
She was once Asia's wealthiest woman and had been chairwoman of the Chinachem Group.
In appealing the earlier court decision that ruled he had forged the will, Chan made two major submissions. They were both dismissed in Monday's 47-page joint judgment.
Chan said in his appeal that the judge in the earlier case had not evaluated the evidence "by reference to the inherent probabilities and improbabilities" before making any factual findings.
The appeal court stressed in its ruling that the judge did not make such an error.
