Travel boss accused of cheating companies
Husband and wife fled the city owing HK$13 million in payments, court told
A former company director is on trial in the District Court accused of cheating eight companies out of HK$13 million.
Chan King-sim, 60, who with her husband had been on Interpol's wanted list for eight years, was extradited to Hong Kong last August after an order by the Supreme Court of Greece last July over a string of deceptions she allegedly committed in 1995 and 1996.
Pleading not guilty to nine deception charges before Deputy Judge Anthony Yuen Wai-ming, Chan denied cheating seven hotels and a bus company when her travel company folded.
Prosecutor Helen Chan Oi-lon said Chan King-sim had fled to Taiwan with her husband, Choi Wo-shun, after their travel business closed down in May 1996, leaving a slew of unsettled bills.
The prosecutor said the pair had both been on Interpol's Red Notice since December 1997. She said Chan was arrested by Greek authorities at Athens airport on October 24, 2005, while on a trip to Greece via Bangkok, adding that Choi had not been located.
Fuasuto EA Travel Service & Trading Company was established by the couple in 1975 to provide accommodation and local travel services to Japanese tourists in Hong Kong, the court heard.
In 1984, the company began to do business with the eight companies - Hotel Concourse, Kowloon Hotel, Harbour Plaza Hotel, the former Grand Stanford Harbour View Hotel, Hotel Miramar, Imperial Hotel, the former New World Harbour View Hotel, and bus company Ready Chance.
From October 1995 to May 1996, the prosecutor alleged, the defendant signed numerous post-dated cheques to settle bills from the companies, but most of them were dishonoured.
Kwok Wai-chung, former credit manager of Hotel Concourse, yesterday testified that in March 1996, Chan issued his hotel with post-dated cheques to settle accommodation fees for her company's tours. He said the cheques were later dishonoured.
'There were rumours in May that year that staff members of [Chan's] company were all gone,' said Mr Kwok, telling the court that his hotel had already received three post-dated cheques from Chan by that time for payment of about HK$3.5 million.
Mr Kwok said he later confirmed that Chan's business had folded and that two of the cheques his hotel received were dishonoured, leaving a balance of about HK$3 million. He said he was unable to contact either Chan or Choi.
The prosecutor told the court Chan and Choi fled to Taiwan after they realised the company was incapable of settling most of its bills and their business was going to close down.
She said that before leaving Hong Kong, the pair sold their Kowloon Tong home and their Tsim Sha Tsui office.
The hearing will continue on Monday.
