Hong Kong's richest woman charged with forgery

Hong Kong’s richest woman, Nina Wang, was formally charged today for allegedly forging her late husband’s will in an attempt to secure his multi-million dollar fortune, officials said.

Wang, chairwoman of Chinachem Group, appeared in court on charges of forgery and perverting the course of justice, a court document showed.

Wang, 67, was granted bail of £3.7m (€5.3m) and was ordered to appear in court again on March 23, said judiciary spokeswoman Jaime Or. She did not have to enter a plea today.

Wang’s husband, Teddy Wang, was kidnapped in 1990 and was never seen again. He was declared dead in 1999.

In 2002, a court ruled that Teddy Wang’s will awarding his wife 1 billion Hong Kong dollars (€98m) was fake and that Nina Wang probably forged the document. The court handed Teddy Wang’s estate to his father, Wang Din-shin.

During the 171-day trial, Wang Din-shin accused Nina Wang of adultery by showing pictures of her with an alleged lover.

Nina Wang never responded publicly to the accusation, but her version of the will ended with the hand-written phrase, “one life, one love”.

Nina Wang was subsequently arrested on forgery charges, but was soon released on a bond of €490,000.

Nina Wang built her husband’s company, Chinachem Group, into a major property developer following his disappearance. Forbes magazine last year estimated her worth at £1.24bn (€1.8bn).

Last June, an appellate court upheld the 2002 lower court ruling that gave the estate to the father, but Nina Wang was granted permission to take the case to the Court of Final Appeal. No hearing date has been set yet.