Mainland official declined to help in previous lawsuit, trial hears

A mainland official declined to help Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum ask Hong Kong's secretary for justice to get involved in her previous probate lawsuit with her in-laws, the billionaire's probate trial was told yesterday.

Businessman Stephen Lau Hei-wing, owner of the Kimberley Hotel, said Wang wanted the secretary to 'remain impartial' and to be the 'real protector of the people' because she felt threatened over incidents before the Court of Final Appeal handed down its judgment in September 2005.

Wang gave a letter to a friend, Jia Chunwang , former head of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, believing he could help her, said Mr Lau, one of the billionaire's friends.

Wang's youngest sister, Kung Yan-sum, told the court earlier that Wang signed the letter on September 13, three days before the Court of Final Appeal ruled in favour of Wang over the estate of Teddy Wang Teh-huei. Wang wrote to Mr Jia that there was a 'dark force' trying to harm her and invited him to take charge of her foundation.

'She felt some people behind [Teddy Wang's father, Wang Din-shin] tried to hurt her,' Mr Lau said. 'There were a lot of people who called her to volunteer to help her but she did not know them. She felt very disturbed.'

He said she also said some people from the mainland had financially supported the previous probate suit against her, and she felt threatened when someone approached during a buffet at a hotel.