Tony Chan charged with forging Nina Wang's will
Fung shui master Tony Chan Chun-chuen was yesterday charged with forging the will on which he based his epic failed probate battle for the billion-dollar fortune of late businesswoman Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum.
Chan, 51, was released on HK$20 million bail and HK$20 million surety by his brother on condition he surrendered his travel documents and not leave Hong Kong, lived at his residence on The Peak and report to police twice a week. Outside court Chan said: 'I'm not worried. I know I will be fine. It felt a bit sudden when I was arrested.'
Chan was at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central when detectives from the commercial crime bureau picked him up. He was formally arrested and charged at police headquarters.
His arrest comes a year after a High Court judge ruled Chan had used a fake will and declared one held by a charity set up by Wang to be genuine. Chan had been free on bail of HK$5 million. Chan was charged with forgery and using a false instrument. He was accused of making a false will of Nina Wang dated October 16, 2006 some time between July 28, 2002 and November 16, 2007 - the period between the date when the will held by Chinachem Charitable Foundation was made and the day Chan submitted the document to the High Court. The maximum penalty for each charge is 14 years' jail.
In the dock at Eastern Court, Chan took a deep breath as the charges were read. He did not enter a plea and will next appear on July 8 for a committal proceeding to transfer the matter to the Court of First Instance. He was represented by Cheng Huan SC.
Outside court, Richard Turnbull, senior assistant director of public prosecutions, said the decision to arrest Chan had been made 'recently'.
'We were waiting for some new evidence,' Turnbull said, referring to a forensic report on handwriting, DNA and fingerprints.
Besides the fresh criminal case, Chan has been embroiled in four other proceedings: an appeal of his probate to the top court, a claim filed by the Inland Revenue for HK$330 million tax arising from his fung shui services to Wang, his application for a judicial review of the taxman's refusal to grant him an extension, and a civil case between a company he owned and a company linked to Wang.
The Court of Appeal earlier ruled against Chan and reaffirmed a finding that a 2006 will purporting to bequeath him Wang's entire estate was a forgery. Chan's lawyers will seek leave to appeal against the probate ruling at the Court of Final Appeal on October 24.
