(Ecns.cn)--Hong Kong citizens are accustomed to high profile legal squabbles over estates among the city's wealthy families, but the latest court battle between the sons of the late Henry Fok, Hong Kong's richest man, have still attracted wide attention.
Benjamin Fok, the youngest of Henry Fok and his first wife's three sons, filed a lawsuit at Hong Kong's High Court on Wednesday, accusing the elder brother Ian Fok of breaching his duties as executor of the estate.
Benjamin and Ian are two of the executors, but according to the court filing, Henry Fok's last will and testament from 1978 also names a sister and brother-in-law as executors. The brother-in-law has already died.
Benjamin Fok is suing his brother for unilaterally appropriating assets belonging to their father without the knowledge or consent of his co-executors. The assets include US$184 million worth of funds and assets held by their father's offshore companies and accounts.
In the court filing, Benjamin Fok also alleges that his brother threatened family members to sign documents he had prepared for the administration of the estate, and that the elder brother had failed to disclose to him the details of the estate.
Benjamin Fok also wants to remove Henry Fok's 85-year-old sister, who he says has not helped in the administration of Henry's estate since his death. He is also asking the court to appoint someone to act in her, and his brother's, place.
Henry Fok ranked the 181st wealthiest person in the world and had estimated wealth of US$3.7 billion in 2006, three wives and a total of 13 known children. Benjamin's lawsuit also names 14 other co-defendants, including his 11 other siblings, his mother and Henry's two other widows, who are all beneficiaries of the estate.
Benjamin is not seeking relief against any of them, but all will be required to testify. So far, no family members have commented on the lawsuit.
