Ex-chairman was 'scared to go home alone after gangster demanded shares'
Ex-CPPCC committee member tells court he had heard scary stories about his blackmailer's leader Cheung Tze-keung, who 'everyone in the business world was scared of'
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 13 February, 2014, 4:01pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 13 February, 2014, 4:01pm
Julie Chu [email protected]
Hui Chi-ming told the High Court that Wong Chin-yik had claimed to be a member of a 'Big Circle Gang'.
A listed company’s former chairman was so afraid of the gang who allegedly intimidated him into surrendering millions of company shares that he dared not go home alone, the Court of First Instance heard on Thursday morning.
Hui Chi-ming said Wong Chin-yik, 61, had claimed to be a member of a “Big Circle Gang” and a follower of Cheung Tze-keung, whom Hui described as “a gangster that everyone in the business world was scared of”.
“There are rumours that Cheung blackmailed and kidnapped many people, including wealthy people,” Hui told the court. “People also said he did horrible things to those he kidnapped.” He did not specify what those things reportedly were.
Hui is a former committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an honorary consul of Madagascar. He transferred 100 million shares of Sino Union Petroleum and Chemical International in March 2009.
Wong, businessman Koon Wing-yee, 56, Ng Chi-keung, 71, Chan Kwai-nam, 62, and Shum Man-keung, 59, are jointly charged with two counts of conspiracy to blackmail and one of theft. Wong also faces one charge of blackmail and one of possessing arms at the time of committing blackmail.
Koon had blamed Hui for huge losses investing in the company’s stocks and had demanded 100 million shares in March 2009, the court heard earlier. Hui said he refused the demand, and after Koon had left Hui's office, Wong appeared with a group of people to make the same request again.
Hui later transferred the 100 million shares to the defendants, he earlier said.
When Wong asked him for another 100 million shares in April 2009, Hui was so frightened that he asked colleagues to accompany him home, he said on Thursday.
Koon had arranged a meeting with him in a restaurant on April 29, 2009. Hui arrived and found Wong was present along with 20 other men. Koon asked him for HK$50 million in cash and gave him two days to prepare the money, according to Hui.
He told the court that he had tried to arrange the money, but he received a phone call from Wong the next day changing the demand to 100 million more shares.
Hui said he felt at the time that he would never be able to fulfil the demand, and asked a colleague to make a report to the police.
The trial continues before Madam Justice Clare-Marie Beeson this afternoon.
