HONG KONG: The chairman of one of the world's largest property firms has begun legal action against his two brothers, Hong Kong court documents show, the latest twist in a long-running feud at the family-run firm.
Walter Kwok, chairman and chief executive of Sun Hung Kai Properties who has been on leave from the company for three months, filed a writ to Hong Kong's High Court on Thursday, documents seen by AFP show.
The writ was placed just before a board meeting that was expected to vote on ousting Kwok, local media reports said.
In it, Kwok said his two brothers, Raymond and Thomas who are both vice-chairmen and managing directors of Sun Hung Kai, had falsely tried to get a doctor to assert he had a mental disorder.
"The diagnosis made... of bipolar affective disorder was also heavily based on misinformation as to the daily disposition of Walter Kwok supplied by Thomas Kwok and Raymond Kwok," the writ said.
The document also said that Walter Kwok had agreed to take three months leave of absence starting February, on the basis that he seeks independent medical opinions on his condition after his leave.
The writ said that three doctors had given him the all-clear in April. "Each practitioner expressed the view that Walter Kwok was not suffering from any mental disorder," the document stated.
However, Raymond Kwok then contacted the doctors and "attempted to persuade them of the inaccuracy of their diagnoses in advance of their preparation of written reports. The practitioners declined to do so," the writ stated.
A report in the English-language Standard newspaper said the court had granted the injunction to stop the meeting until a full hearing on May 23.
A Sun Hung Kai spokesman told the AFP Friday that the company is presently seeking legal advice and Kwok will remain on his leave of absence in the meantime.
Previous reports have said the Kwok family has been torn apart by the chairman's affair with a woman he brought into the family-controlled firm against the wishes of his two brothers.
The family-run business has made its fortune from investing in the southern Chinese city's property market, and in recent years has expanded its operations into the mainland. - AFP/ac