Bid to seize sergeant's ill-gotten gains begins

The secretary for justice is trying to seize the multi-million dollar estate of a retired police sergeant because his properties, cars and investments were funded with bribe money, a court heard yesterday.

When Hon Kwing-shum, alias Hon Shum or Hon Sum, retired in August 1971, he was in control of 49 properties then worth $2.12 million, had $1.24 million in investments, $703,000 in bank accounts, and two Mercedes-Benz cars worth $78,911.

His fortune was accumulated despite him earning a total of just $200,000 in wages during his 31 years with the Royal Hong Kong Police, according to a statement of claim filed in July 2000.

Hon moved to Canada shortly after his retirement. There was a bid to extradite him in May 1977, but he fled and was never brought to justice. He died in Taipei in August 1999.

The parties named in the Court of First Instance hearing included the beneficiaries of Hon's estate: his wife, Wan Lin, concubines Kan Suk-ying and Lau Miu-yuk, and his younger sister, Hon Yuet-ngor.

Counsel for the estate, Charles Sussex, SC, told the court that government attempts to reclaim the assets, which had initially exceeded the time limit set down by the statute of limitations, had been given a 'new lease of life' due to new legal developments.