A writ claims three company shareholders attempted to avoid paying a share of damages in a personal injuries judgment
Three company shareholders sold off properties worth $32.2 million for only $5 in an attempt to evade paying damages over the fatal collapse of a canopy in Aberdeen nine years ago, a High Court writ alleged yesterday.
Newspaper vendor Mo Yee, 76, was crushed to death when the 21-year-old canopy of New Best Restaurant in Aberdeen gave way. Eight people, including four children aged seven to 13, were injured.
Six parties were listed as defendants in the personal injuries claim which was decided by Mr Justice Azizul Suffiad in the Court of First Instance on September 17, 2001.
That ruling, which awarded $33,257,886.25, found the parties jointly liable for the August 1, 1994, incident which saw a 15-tonne canopy crash under the weight of an illegally-erected fish tank.
One of the six parties, Aberdeen Winer Investment Company, yesterday launched efforts aimed at getting three shareholders of one of the other parties, Housing Management Agency, to pay their share of the damages bill: $9,929,144.85.
Aberdeen Winer was left with the entire bill after the plaintiffs chose to enforce the entire judgment against the company and its landed properties. They took this action because some of the other defendants were bankrupted or missing.