Lover of late Hong Kong tycoon jailed 12 years for will forgery
Hong Kong – A Hong Kong judge jailed a former lover of late billionaire tycoon Nina Wang for 12 years for forging a will naming him the sole heir to one of Asia’s largest fortunes, estimated at $4 billion.
Justice Andrew Macrae delivered the sentence on Peter Chan, formerly known as Tony Chan, in the city’s High Court a day after a jury found him guilty on charges of forgery and using a forged document. Chan had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Sentencing Chan to 12 years on each charge, to be served concurrently, Macrae highlighted the “shameless and unparalleled greed” at the heart of a “well-executed and planned” crime, that saw Chan exploit his relationship with Wang to obtain large amounts of her money in her final years.
As the sentence was handed down, Chan, dressed in dark suit and white shirt and flanked by three guards in the dock, stared solemnly at his wife in the public gallery, and nodded slowly.
His wife had sobbed throughout the hearing, covering her mouth with a small handkerchief.
The judge also ordered Chan to pay more than HK$2 million ($257,900) for legal costs the prosecution incurred in a preliminary inquiry the latter had requested.
Chan’s lawyer and wife made no immediate reply to queries whether he would appeal against the judgment.
The proceedings had transfixed Hong Kong with revelations of adultery and bizarre rituals associated with “feng shui”, a Chinese philosophy meaning “wind-water”, aimed at creating harmonious surroundings and harnessing natural energies.
The 53-year-old father of three also described in court how he had enjoyed a passionate sexual relationship with the billionaire heiress, who was more than 20 years his senior.- Reuter
