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HONG KONG: The family feud at one of the world’s largest property
firms has taken another twist after its chairman sued his brothers
for libel, Hong Kong court documents show.
Walter Kwok, chairman and chief executive of Sun
Hung Kai Properties, has accused his two younger brothers of
questioning his integrity and mental fitness, according to the writ
filed at the city’s High Court on Wednesday.
Kwok said his brothers falsely claimed in three
letters they sent to Sun Hung Kai directors that he was mentally ill
and had made unwise and undesirable decisions for the company
without consulting them.
The court action was the second one Walter Kwok
has filed in the past two weeks against his brothers, Raymond and
Thomas, who are both vice chairmen and managing directors of Sun
Hung Kai. He is also seeking damages.
One of the letters said Kwok was “seriously
undermining the morale of senior executives” and was “upsetting
the operations and organization structure” of the company,
according to the writ.
Walter Kwok suffered “grave distress, anguish
and embarrassment” because of the letters, the document added.
The letters were also copied to the brothers’
octogenarian mother, Kwong Siu-hing, who media reports said ordered
Walter Kwok to step down three months ago, the writ said.
A spokesman for Sun Hung Kai declined to comment
on Thursday.
The chairman, who has been on leave from the
company for three months, alleged in the first writ that his
brothers had falsely tried to get a doctor to assert he had a mental
disorder.
The court granted him an interim injunction and
scheduled a full hearing today.
Previous reports have said the family rift was
sparked by Kwok’s involvement with a woman who has become
increasingly influential in the firm and on himself, a married man.
-- AFP
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