Police search landfill for HK$28 million painting 'after cleaners mistake it for rubbish'

Cleaners at the city's Grand Hyatt hotel are suspected to have dumped a painting that had just sold for more than HK$28 million with rubbish that was then taken to a landfill.

The Chinese ink wash painting, Snowy Mountain, by Cui Ruzhuo went under the hammer for HK$28.75 million, the second highest price among 22 of the artist's works sold during a two-day sale in the five-star Wan Chai hotel.

A police source said officers scrutinising closed-circuit TV footage yesterday saw a security guard kick the packaged artwork over to a pile of rubbish.

Cleaners were then seen disposing of the rubbish, which is believed to have been taken to landfill in Tuen Mun.

The source said police had been to the landfill but could find no trace of the painting. 

A police spokesman today said the case had been classified as "theft", adding that no arrests had been made.

A Grand Hyatt spokesman said the hotel would not be responsible for the lost of the painting.