Henry Fok's family takes fortune fight back to court

The feuding family of late tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung has returned to court despite reaching a settlement last year, as one son accuses another of withholding information that may affect the distribution of billions of dollars' worth of assets.

Benjamin Fok Chun-yue asked the Court of First Instance yesterday to remove his elder brother, Ian Fok Chun-wan, and an aunt as co-executors of his father's multibillion-dollar estate - his second attempt at doing so.

Benjamin Fok's lawyer said his client changed his mind after investigating accountants found Ian Fok had withheld information that could affect Benjamin's part entitlement to a plot of land in Nansha, Guangzhou.

The land, if fully developed, would be worth "billions" of dollars, said barrister Winston Poon SC, for Benjamin Fok.

Henry Fok died aged 83 from cancer in 2006, the year Forbes magazine ranked him the world's 181st wealthiest person, worth an estimated US$3.7 billion. The estate comprises assets of HK$1.4 billion and shares in Henry Fok Estates, a holding company.

The senior Fok married three times and had 13 children, five of whom belonged to his first family: former legislator Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, Ian, Benjamin and two daughters.