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SCMP Reporter

A CONVICTED bigamist was yesterday given the go-ahead to take his second 'wife' to court in a bid to get a share of properties worth $10 million.

  Retired primary school teacher Margaret Chue Yin-ling only discovered after 24 years that 'husband' Fong Pak-kai already had a wife.

  The couple married in 1971. But unknown to Ms Chue, 57, Fong had been married to a woman from the mainland, Fong Ping-wo, for 13 years.

  Fong Pak-kai, 57, pleaded guilty to bigamy before a magistrates' court in November1992 and the couple's marriage certificate was subsequently cancelled.

 The pair, who have an adopted handicapped daughter, are now fighting over five flats estimated to be worth $10 million.

  Fong says he helped buy the properties and is entitled to a share.

   Ms Chue says he was often out of work and did not contribute a cent.

 Last year Fong applied for a decree of nullity as a first step towards claiming back some of the money he said was his.

 But Deputy Judge Gill refused to grant the decree on the grounds that there had never been a marriage.

 Under Hong Kong law only the first marriage is recognised.

  Deputy Judge Gill said: 'There's no point in the husband seeking a declaration of nullity of a marriage which does not in fact exist.'  But yesterday the Court of Appeal overturned the decision after Fong's lawyer, David Pilbrow, said the judge had got it wrong.

 Even where a marriage is void, the law still allows for either party to get an annulment, which is necessary before asking the court to make financial orders.

  Mr Justice Bokhary ordered that the matter should go back to the Family Court.

 But he told Ms Chue: 'Justice sometimes comes later rather than sooner.'  Outside court, Ms Chue told of her heartache on learning the man to whom she had devoted her life had been married to someone else.

 'You cannot imagine how he hurt me. My hair turned white,' she said.

  She now cares for the couple's wheelchair-bound daughter.

 'He committed bigamy and made false declarations when we registered the marriage, but he was only fined about $6,500.

    'He's now asking for the flats, but they belong to me,' she said.

 But Fong's solicitor, Peter Hui, said his client had contributed towards the properties and was asking for his rightful share.



Bigamist sues 'wife'