Juliana Liu: 14 May 2012 at 02:11 GMT (The BBC)
The criminal case against Tony Chan, the fengshui master accused of forging the will of Nina Wang, once Asia's richest woman,
has begun in Hong Kong. Mr Chan fought for years to inherit the property tycoon's multi-billion dollar fortune after she died
of cancer in 2007. But a court dismissed his claims to the inheritance last year.
The preliminary inquiry revives one of the city's most colourful and high-profile legal sagas.
The case of the eccentric billionaire widow and her alleged younger lover created a media frenzy. Mr Chan had tried to persuade
judges that Ms Wang had left her entire fortune to him.
But a court ruled in favour of a charity run by Ms Wang's siblings, Chinachem Charitable Foundation Ltd, whose claim to her
estate rests on a will from 2002.
The Hong Kong government has accused Mr Chan of forging the will he used to claim Ms Wang's estate.
He wants to stop the trial, saying the document was destroyed by forensic tests.
Such is the importance and complexity of the case that the government has brought in a specialist barrister from London to
lead the prosecution, says our correspondent.
The criminal case against Tony Chan, the fengshui master accused of forging the will of Nina Wang, once Asia's richest woman,
has begun in Hong Kong. Mr Chan fought for years to inherit the property tycoon's multi-billion dollar fortune after she died
of cancer in 2007. But a court dismissed his claims to the inheritance last year.
The preliminary inquiry revives one of the city's most colourful and high-profile legal sagas.
The case of the eccentric billionaire widow and her alleged younger lover created a media frenzy. Mr Chan had tried to persuade
judges that Ms Wang had left her entire fortune to him.
But a court ruled in favour of a charity run by Ms Wang's siblings, Chinachem Charitable Foundation Ltd, whose claim to her
estate rests on a will from 2002.
The Hong Kong government has accused Mr Chan of forging the will he used to claim Ms Wang's estate.
He wants to stop the trial, saying the document was destroyed by forensic tests.
Such is the importance and complexity of the case that the government has brought in a specialist barrister from London to
lead the prosecution, says our correspondent.
