When a Hong Kong bank executive sued dance instructors for return of fees after insult
- Bank executive Mimi Wong sued her dance instructors for the return of US$8 million in advance fees after one of them insulted her in public
“Mimi Monica Wong, the head of HSBC’s private banking in Asia, is suing her Latin dance teachers for the return of [HK]$62 million (US$8 million) in prepaid fees after one instructor allegedly insulted her in front of a crowd at a Causeway Bay restaurant,” reported the South China Morning Post on June 14, 2006.
“Ms Wong told the Court of First Instance yesterday she used to be enthusiastic about her Latin dance lessons, which were once scheduled to be conducted ‘6 lessons a day, 7 days a week’, because she had been ‘looking for the last bit of glory in life’.
“She claims her teacher, Mirko Saccani, began pressuring her in 2002 to prepay ‘more and more money’. The fee was agreed to be [HK]$120 million for eight years of unlimited dance lessons and competitions, and Mr Saccani would be her dancing partner and instructor by such agreements, Ms Wong told the court […]
“She testified yesterday that Mr Saccani offended her in front of a crowd [attending her practice session with Mr Saccani at Li Hua Restaurant in Causeway Bay on August 25, 2004], telling her to ‘move your a***’ and calling her a ‘lazy cow’.”
“On September 7, 2006, the Post reported that a court has ordered the former Latin dance teachers of wealthy HSBC banker Mimi Monica Wong to refund her [HK]$62 million in prepaid fees for lessons she will never take.
