Forger of Nina Wang's will begins prison sentence

Jailed former fung shui master Peter Chan Chun-chuen has swapped the high life with Asia's richest woman for prison congee and rice.

Yesterday the born-again Christian awoke in a single cell at Stanley Prison after his sentence to 12 years' imprisonment for forging the will of late Chinachem property heiress Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum to get his hands on her HK$83 billion fortune.

Chan, 53, met his wife and daughter for half an hour - as he is allowed to do twice a month. Last night he was served milk and bread before bed. Lights are turned off at 10pm. Today Chan, like any other prisoner, is allowed to participate in recreational, cultural or religious activities.

As he faces spending at least the next eight years in the maximum-security prison - he will become eligible for parole in 2021 at the earliest - Chan may be contemplating some of his new neighbours. They include notorious murderers Yip Kai-foon and Kwai Ping-hung.

But while he may have lost his liberty, his sense of humour remains intact. Before being locked up, he uploaded South China Morning Post cartoonist Harry Harrison's cartoon from Thursday's edition of the Post to his Facebook page.

"Shame Peter Chan gave up geomancy," said one prison guard to another in the cartoon. "He could have told us what the verdict is."

On Thursday morning, the eight-member jury in his trial was still locked in deliberations on the charges Chan faced. That day, the five men and three women found him guilty of forgery and using a false instrument.

Chan's last Facebook posts also included biblical teachings.

While he will not be able to access the internet in his prison cell, Chan, as a Christian, will be given a copy of the Bible.

Like other prisoners, Chan will have to work in jobs ranging from printing government publications to making leather shoes for the disciplined services.