The family saga of collapsed brokerage CA Pacific Group yesterday intensified as the mother of Jason Wong But-sit told a jury how her son had elevated the company to new heights. Edna Chu King-yee, also known as Edna Wong, hailed her son's leadership as the reason behind the group's success in rising up the stock exchange ranks from 600-odd to ninth. 'All this was a result of his efforts . . . so he had been doing very well,' she said. Jason Wong is on trial at the Court of First Instance for allegedly stealing $248 million from CA Pacific Finance. His elder brother, Capital Asia boss Alex Wong Ching-ping, informed Commercial Crime officers last January after Jason Wong allegedly took CA Pacific Finance money to fund the $1.24 billion purchase of Central's Century Square. Mrs Wong has been in semi-retirement since handing over the reins of the company to her sons over the past four to six years, the court heard, although she remained a director. She confirmed that Jason and Alex Wong did not always see eye to eye and that there were disputes between them. Jason Wong denies stealing the cash, and along with his wife, Elizabeth Kong Suk-yee, he denies false accounting between November and December 1997. The prosecution alleges that no approval had been given by directors for the use of the funds to buy the property. The building was purchased by offshore company China Star Consultants, allegedly set up by Jason Wong and his wife. The jury heard yesterday that it had originally been a family idea to purchase a flagship building to house the companies within the CA Pacific Group. Mrs Wong told the court the family was enthusiastic about the prospect when gathering for Jason Wong's birthday celebrations in September 1997. She said that she had heard her sons talking about Central Square as a prospective site. The prosecution alleges that Alex Wong was 'furious' when he discovered CA Pacific funds had been used to pay for the property, and that he confronted his brother at a meeting in December 1997. He insisted his sibling pay further instalments from his own pocket, produce loan documentation for the funds taken and put up shares as security for the loans, it is alleged. The trial, before Mr Justice Gareth Lugar-Mawson, continues.