Two mainlanders who tried to pass off a box of worthless trinkets as 'ancient treasures' were caught out when their intended victim became suspicious, a court heard yesterday. The purported treasures, including golden ingots and Buddha statutes, claimed to be worth $2 million, were fakes made of worthless materials, the District Court was told. Yang Cui-ping, 34, denied one count of conspiracy to defraud yesterday. He was arrested last month when he returned to Hong Kong after jumping bail in January last year. Yang pleaded guilty to failing to surrender into custody without reasonable cause. Prosecutor Ian Polson said Yang's accomplice, Liu Bei-jing, who is still at large, phoned Leo Wong Ding-fu, 39, a manager of a machinery company, on November 16, 2000. Liu said he had unearthed a metal drum at a construction site in the Castle Peak area, Mr Polson said. Liu told Mr Wong the drum contained valuables including gold, banknotes and antique coins, the prosecutor said. Liu said he needed Mr Wong's help in assessing their value, the court heard. Mr Wong agreed for Liu to meet him at his office that day and called police, Mr Polson said. In Mr Wong's Tsuen Wan office, Liu and Yang presented the items - including purported gold shoe-shaped ingots, gold Buddha statutes and silver coins they claimed were cast during the Qing Dynasty and Meiji period in Japan, the court heard. Mr Polson said the pair asked Mr Wong to remit money to their villages and promised to give him a quarter share of the valuables, which they claimed were worth up to $2 million. Police arrested the pair as they spoke to Mr Wong. A total of 133 pieces of golden objects were seized, of which only one was found to be made of gold, Mr Polson said, adding the coins and banknotes were also worthless. The trial continues before Judge Richard Day.
