|
Peter Chan (businessman)
Peter Chan Chun-chuen (born 23 December 1959), earlier known as Tony Chan, is a Hong Kong businessman and the former Feng shui geomancer to the late Nina Wang, who at the time of her death was chair of Chinachem Group and Asia's richest woman.[1][2][3] He laid claim to Wang's HK$83 billion estate after she died from ovarian cancer in 2007, claiming to have been her lover.[4] Personal life and business activitiesChan was born in Hong Kong with family roots in Xinhui, Guangdong.[5] He is a partial owner, along with Wang's estate, of RCG Holdings Limited (LSE: RCG, SEHK: 802), a biometrics and RFID solution provider which was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in February 2009.[6][7] He is married to Tam Miu-chung; their first child, Wealthee Chan, was born in 1993.[8] In March 2013, Tony Chan was baptised as a Christian and took the name Peter Chan on the occasion of his conversion. He stated that he began considering conversion when his driver quit in 2012 and gave him a Bible as a parting gift. He also indicated that he would no longer practise feng shui after his conversion.[9] Estate battleAfter Nina Wang's death in 2007, Chan presented a 2006 document purporting to be her last will and testament, which left all of her assets to him. This would have been a complete reversal of Wang's earlier 2002 will, in which she stated that she wished to bequeath her fortune to Chinachem Charitable Foundation, a trust run by her family. On 2 February 2010, the Hong Kong High Court ruled that Wang's estate belonged to the Foundation and not to Chan.[10] Justice Johnson Lam said Chan was "untruthful, unreliable and lacking in credibility". He further stated: "I do not find him to be a credible witness and I find in many respects his evidence was tailored to suit his convenience. I do not believe what he testified regarding the provenance of the 2006 will. Apart from my general assessment of his credibility, I also find his evidence incredible."[11] The judge found Wang's signature on the 2006 will relied on by Tony Chan to be "a highly skilled simulation",[12] on the basis of which the Hong Kong Police arrested Tony Chan the next day.[13] He was released on HK$5 million (US$640,000) bail.[14] Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department issued a demand for HK$300 million in back taxes on income he is alleged to have received from Wang for feng shui services, sums which Chan claims were gifts from his lover.[15] Criminal caseOn 4 July 2013, Chan was convicted of two criminal fraud charges in a jury trial. He was convicted of forging the will and of using a false document by majority verdicts. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He filed for leave to appeal against his conviction the following week.[4] References
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Peter Chan.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
