bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

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

A removals firm boss is back in business despite a barrage of complaints from customers who claimed to have lost millions of dollars worth of property.

Janson Wong Hing-wah and his firm, East Asia Movers, are under police investigation. But police are thought to be powerless to prevent Mr Wong from recruiting customers for another firm, A-1 Removals, despite a string of court reverses for his previous removals concern.

Mr Wong is on police bail after his arrest last month in connection with allegations against East Asia Movers.

At least 16 customers have complained over the past year and in several cases have won legal victories and damages against East Asia Movers.

But the Small Claims Tribunal has been unable to enforce its judgments. Customers were enraged to learn the courts could not force Mr Wong to pay up. They have discovered that they will have to pay for bailiffs to get their money.

In August it was revealed that the Department of Justice had branded a nine-month police investigation into East Asia Movers inadequate and told them to start again.

The Sunday Morning Post confronted Mr Wong yesterday after it emerged he was associated with A-1 Removals in Sheung Shui.

Posing as a prospective customer a Post  reporter called Mr Wong on his East Asia Movers number to meet him in Central for a quote on moving the contents of a three-bedroom flat to London.

Mr Wong said: 'My company has been running for 20 years. It will cost you $28,000 for that kind of shipment.'

Mercy de Guzman, a previous customer who lost $50,000 worth of property, said: 'It's ridiculous. How can the authorities allow him to set up another company like that?

'The truth is that the Consumer Council has no authority and no power at all. I don't understand why this is being allowed to continue.'

Following Mr Wong's arrest it emerged that six shipping container loads of customers' goods were thrown away when he ran out of money.

Mr Wong, 47, who used to work as a part-time movie tough, has admitted he signed a contract allowing a third party to dispose of the goods as it pleased.

The fate of the shipments has remained one of the central mysteries surrounding the 18-month saga.

One police source said: 'His contract did not specify a time of arrival so he did not break the law in that respect. Mr Wong maintains that some of his consignments arrived on time and intact and therefore he was acting in good faith.'

East Asia Movers had been accused of presiding over a series of disastrous shipments that damaged goods, often beyond repair. But in many cases the goods simply disappeared.

Police discovered that most of the property was left in a warehouse in Ping Che, close to Fanling where Mr Wong's firm was based. He claims he signed away the property at the warehouse because he was unable to pay the rent.

One Hong Kong lawyer said: 'The reality is there is not much consumer protection in Hong Kong. The police and prosecuting authorities tend to leave cases if there is a civil remedy.

'But in this case I cannot see what the problem is if these goods are disappearing.'

When the Post  later contacted Mr Wong yesterday, he changed his story. 'I am working for a friend. I made mistakes at [East Asia Movers] but I just want to earn a living. I can guarantee you that there have been no complaints about A-1,' he said.

Mr Wong has previously blamed the police for his disputes with customers. Last month he said: 'When the police became involved, they took away my records. It meant I had no idea where the goods were and where they had to be shipped.

'Up until September last year everything was going OK, but when a customer complained it all started going wrong.'



Business as usual for subject of police investigation