Hoi Tin Tong has been serving customers mould-infested turtle jelly since 2006, Hong Kong court hears
- Former business partner Choy Kwok-keung says Hoi Tin Tong founder Ng Yiu-ming gave instructions to rinse mould-covered jelly for sale in 2006
- He says all staff members of the company were aware of this practice by 2013
Hong Kong herbal product chain Hoi Tin Tong has been serving customers mould-infested turtle jelly since 2006, a former business partner claims in his statement in a HK$130 million (US$16.77 million) defamation suit centred on the alleged malpractice.
Choy Kwok-keung said company founder Ng Yiu-ming gave instructions to rinse mould-covered jelly for sale in 2006 and all staff members were aware of this practice by 2013, when he decided to leave the brand for this reason and start his own business in the same industry.
But the High Court also heard Choy admit that he exploited legal loopholes and used the name of another household brand, Wai Yuen Tong, without permission when he opened a store in mainland China, just 11 days after he resigned from Hoi Tin Tong.
He was responding to the multimillion-dollar libel suit Hoi Tin Tong lodged in response to his claims published on Apple Daily, Oriental Daily and the now-defunct Sun in September 2013, which allegedly resulted in huge financial losses.
Choy had accused the chain of not following proper hygiene and storage practices, leading to the development of moulds in its signature product. He claimed the company had addressed the issue by rinsing away the white spots and mucus before serving customers the mould-infested jelly.