Echoes of the sensational and long-running Carrian case resounded in court again yesterday.
Disgraced investor Rogerio Lam Sou-fung and the former head of the failed Carrian property empire, George Tan Soon-gin, began a legal battle over five pieces of antique Chinese porcelain.
Lam says he lent the pieces to Tan in 1982 and is now demanding the return of two and the proceeds from the sale of three others - one of which was auctioned recently for more than HK$103 million.
The hearing began in the Court of First Instance 14 years after Tan was jailed for three years on charges of conspiracy arising from the Carrian property empire collapse, and eight years after Lam was jailed for 20 months on various charges in a separate case.
The claims about the antiques - a Song dynasty deep dish, a pair of quail dishes, one of a pair of stemcups with a rising sun design and a Guyuexuan vase - were made in a submission to the court from Lam's lawyer, James Campbell.
Auction house Sotheby's HK has also asked the court to decide whether Lam or Tan should be given the proceeds from the sale of the vase. This case will be heard after the other concludes. Lam says he lent the pieces to Tan in 1982 after Tan saw them when he visited his home.
According to the submission, Lam did not receive any benefit from lending the pieces. Tan, in borrowing them, had been able to show them off to clients at his office. 'The conferring of benefits was all one-way.'