Stanley Ho files new lawsuit to regain control of empire

Casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun's on-off battle to regain control of his sprawling business empire is back on.

Lawyers for the 89-year-old billionaire yesterday launched a fresh lawsuit against Ho's daughters Pansy Ho Chiu-king and Daisy Ho Chiu-fung that seeks to undo the December share transfer that saw Ho lose control of Lanceford.

The company held his stake in a number of businesses including SJM Holdings, Macau's biggest casino operator by revenue.

The six-page High Court writ, filed yesterday afternoon by lawyer Gordon Oldham and signed by solicitors Oldham, Li and Nie - but not signed by Ho - also seeks an injunction against Pansy and Daisy to stop them 'exercising undue influence' to take control of or deal in shares of any more of the hundreds of companies in which their father has a stake.

'These two girls have gone beyond the limit,' Oldham yesterday quoted Ho as telling him during a videotaped meeting between the two on Monday, adding that Ho said he was 'annoyed and disappointed' with his daughters.

The new legal action accuses feuding family members of 'unlawful misrepresentation and undue influence' for breaching an oral agreement made on January 27 that called for Ho to drop an earlier lawsuit against them - which he did - in exchange for them returning his shares in Lanceford - which they did not.