Hui Ka Yan's legal team denied access to seized assets for legal fees

A Hong Kong court has rejected applications by the legal team of China Evergrande Group founder Hui Ka Yan to access seized assets to pay approximately 1.2 million HKD in legal fees.

Hui, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in mainland China for crimes including fundraising fraud and bribery, is currently unable to communicate with his legal representatives. His lawyers, Chow Di Law Firm, sought to withdraw funds from 20 million HKD held in escrow by a former firm to cover the costs and avoid a court order that would prohibit them from defending him if the fees remained unpaid.

Judge Ouyang Haorong dismissed the requests, ruling that the lawyers acted beyond their authority. The court noted that the legal team failed to prove they had obtained necessary authorization from Hui to manage his assets. Furthermore, the judge and liquidators questioned why the lawyers had not sought payment from Hui’s family members.

The ruling comes as liquidators continue efforts to recover funds for creditors amidst Evergrande’s massive 450 billion USD debt. Liquidators are currently pursuing approximately 7.7 billion USD in personal assets held by Hui globally.