Lawyers for billionaire Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum have filed an application seeking to find out how her father-in-law has been paying for almost nine years of high-powered legal representation against her.
At a directions hearing yesterday into the application, which was lodged in the High Court on April 3, Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung of the Court of First Instance asked whether it was a matter better left to the city's highest court.
'Why should the matter come back to the Court of First Instance? Whatever this court decides will be subject to two layers of appeal,' he told Brian Gilchrist, solicitor for Ms Wang, Asia's richest woman.
The Court of Final Appeal will be deciding two questions regarding what should be done about the costs of the marathon fight over the $24 billion estate of Teddy Wang Teh-huei on October 12 and 13. Those costs are said to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Mr Gilchrist agreed it would make sense to at least ask the Court of Final Appeals, which ruled in September that a will leaving everything to Ms Wang was valid, if it was willing to consider the matter.
The hearing was adjourned to allow Mr Gilchrist to inquire if the matter could be heard. Speaking outside court, he said it was important to ascertain how Wang Din-shin's case was financed.