Asia's richest woman, Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum, yesterday lost the latest battle with her father-in-law for control of the $27 billion Chinachem empire when the Court of Appeal upheld a ruling that her husband's will leaving her the company was forged.
Mrs Wang now looks likely to take the civil probate hearing to the Court of Final Appeal - Hong Kong's highest court - in an effort to stop the company from falling into the hands of Wang Din-shin.
It was not all bad news for Mrs Wang as the three judges of the Court of Appeal - Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen, Madam Justice Maria Yuen Ka-ning and Mr Justice William Waung Sik-ying - unanimously rejected the finding by Court of First Instance judge Mr Justice David Yam Yee-kwan that two of the four documents purported to be the will were 'probably written by the defendant herself'.
Mr Justice Yeung described the judge's finding as unreasonable and unsubstantiated.
'His inference - leading to a serious and important finding of fact possibly with far-reaching consequences - was haphazard and poorly supported,' Mr Justice Yeung said.
This latest ruling is expected to be analysed by police who arrested Mrs Wang upon Mr Justice Yam's delivery and after Wang Din-shin raised fraud allegations in 1999.