New | Hong Kong businesswoman Winnie Ho may be too unwell to testify in lawsuit with billionaire secret lover Eric Hotung
Ho, 93, is receiving treatment in hospital and cannot be discharged without her doctor’s permission, according to her lawyer
Businesswoman Winnie Ho Yuen-ki, who is being sued by her secret lover Eric Hotung in a bitter lawsuit over HK$2 million he gave her half a century ago, might not be able to present her own case in court, the High Court heard on Monday.
Ho, 93, is receiving treatment in hospital and cannot be discharged without her doctor’s permission, according to her lawyer.
Edward Chan King-sang SC, representing Ho, told the court it would remain uncertain until Tuesday morning whether she would be able to give evidence. No other witnesses would be summoned if Ho could not come to court, Chan said.
Hotung, 90, finished giving evidence on Monday after four days of cross-examination. He told the court he was concerned about his long-time lover’s welfare later in life.
The court earlier heard that Hotung had given Ho HK$2 million to invest in her brother Stanley Ho Hung-sun’s then fledgling gambling business in Macau in 1961. But Ho claimed she had paid back Hotung HK$1.6 million.
On Monday, Hotung said he had intended to leave Ho some of his assets, including the shares in the gaming business in question, if she outlived him.
“If I die first, there will be something for her,” Hotung said.
But the nonagenarian did not give details about what exactly he had planned to bequeath her. He also did not explain some of his previous business dealings with her.
The court heard that throughout the 1970s, Hotung had asked Ho on various occasions about the dividends from the investment in the casino business.
On those occasions, the billionaire was told that Ho had invested them back into shares and used some to support herself and her family, as Stanley Ho, her employer at the time, was not paying her enough. The rest went to charities, the court heard.
Chan suggested to Hotung that when Ho told him how she planned to use the dividends, she was not asking for permission.
The hearing continues on Tuesday before Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming.
