appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Jane Moir

A judge has given the father of vanished billionaire Teddy Wang Teh-huei the right to declare his son dead, more than nine years after the Chinachem Group chief was kidnapped.

 The ruling is expected to trigger a legal battle between father Wang Din-shin and Chinachem chairman Nina Wang, the missing tycoon's wife, over his estate.

 The wrangle has been held up by the fact Mr Wang was not legally dead.

 Mr Justice David Yam Yee-kwan, following seven days of legal argument, yesterday granted an application by the elder Mr Wang to swear the death of his son at the Court of First Instance.

 The case had been heard behind closed doors, and the court yesterday directed that no part of Mr Justice Yam's judgment should be published, except the final result.

 Teddy Wang was snatched from his car in 1990 and held captive at sea. Mrs Wang paid a ransom of $260 million for his release.

 According to one of the kidnappers, the tycoon was thrown overboard into the South China Sea as the boat was chased by mainland marine police.

 Nevertheless, Mrs Wang has maintained over the years that her husband is still alive.

 It was the second time Mr Wang had been kidnapped. The first case, in 1983, saw ransom of $85 million paid and the culprits jailed.

 According to the judiciary, Mr Wang senior was 'granted leave to swear the death of Mr Wang Teh-huei to have occurred on or since 10th April 1990'.

 He can now make a declaration of Teddy Wang's death to any interested parties. After a person disappears for seven years, parties seeking to declare him or her dead have to submit an application with the court. A judge will hear the bid and any reasonable opposition.

 The move has been integral to Mr Wang senior's bid to take control of the missing tycoon's fortune.

 He claims he is the sole executor of his son's will dated March 1968. Mrs Wang was cut out of her husband's last-known will the same year. She claimed he may have drafted a new one after he was involved in a riding accident shortly before the kidnapping.

 An application for the appointment of receivers from PricewaterhouseCoopers is expected to be heard today.

 Mr Wang senior filed a writ in June seeking the appointment of the receivers to protect the assets of his son. He also sought an order that Mrs Wang take no further action under a power of attorney she claims her husband granted in 1963.

 Mrs Wong was also asked to identify the nature and value of assets held in her husband's name, or assets held by trustees or nominees.



Father able to declare tycoon dead