A sergeant who earned less than $200,000 during his 31-year career with the Royal Hong Kong Police owned assets valued at more than $4 million when he retired in 1971, according to a writ.
The Government is seeking to recover assets frozen by the Independent Commission Against Corruption from the estate of fugitive Hon Sum, who died last August. Hon, who fled a bid to extradite him from Canada to Hong Kong in May 1977, was living in Taipei until his death.
'It is notorious that corruption was rife in the Royal Hong Kong Police in the 1960s and early 1970s,' the High Court writ says.
Hon, who joined the police in September 1940, was promoted to staff sergeant, Class I, in June 1969 before retiring in August 1971. Despite earnings of $191,327 plus an allowance of $2,525 over 31 years, Hon 'amassed a considerable fortune in real estate, monies deposited in bank accounts, business investments and motor vehicles'.
As of August 3, 1971, he was in control of 49 properties worth $2.12 million, had $1.24 million in investments, $703,000 in bank accounts and two Mercedes-Benz cars worth $78,911. The assets were 'disproportionate to and could not be explained or accounted for by his official emoluments, awards or allowances', the writ says.
Also named in the writ are his wife Wan Lin, concubines Kan Suk-ying, Lau Miu-yuk and younger sister Hon Yuet-ngor. Ms Wan, Ms Kan and Ms Lau are all said to be living in Canada, while Ms Hon's address is not given in the writ.
