Ex-beauty queen husband's libel suit

The industrialist husband of a former Miss Hong Kong is suing a newspaper and its editor over what he calls a media campaign to defame him and destroy his reputation.

James Wu Yau-ching, managing director of Seven Sea Chemical (Holdings), has launched a lawsuit against Hong Kong Daily News and editor Fung Kam-pei for damages and an injunction. Celebrity Eric Tsang Chi-wai is also named as a defendant in the High Court writ.

Mr Wu, a winner of the Young Industrialist Award in 1990, and Virginia Yung Ka-shui, Miss Hong Kong 1997, married on January 5 this year.

Mr Wu 'had from about early June 1998 to about mid-June 1998 dated one Vivian Lee Ming-wai, Miss Hong Kong runner-up for the year 1997', the writ says.

He says three defendants defamed him in a newspaper article on July 29, 1998, over his relationship with Miss Lee. The daily and Mr Fung are also being sued for four articles between July 30 and December 4. They were accused of having 'wrongfully and maliciously conducted a media campaign to defame the plaintiff and destroy his reputation'.

Mr Wu accused the two of not giving him the opportunity to comment on the accuracy of the contents of the proposed publication.