A woman, afraid her boyfriend might have been cheating on her, hired a private detective whom she soon began sleeping with and who then blackmailed her out of millions of dollars, a court has heard.
Deputy Judge Ian Carlson in the Court of First Instance yesterday published his reasons for last week continuing an injunction freezing the assets of the detective, Shiu Wai-tuen, who has been charged with blackmail and is due to go before a magistrate next month.
The woman, whom the court has ordered to be referred to as Miss X, accuses Shiu of obtaining HK$8.3 million from her by threatening to reveal their relationship to her boyfriend, a prominent businessman with whom she has two children. Miss X is also seeking the return of HK$9.5 million she lent Shiu to invest during their relationship.
Judge Carlson noted the two had begun having sex after Miss X had employed him to check on her boyfriend.
Miss X claims the blackmail attempts involved photographs and video recordings of their encounters at hotels.
Shiu, who denies making any threats, claims the money was advanced to him as interest-free loans with no set repayment schedule.
