Singapore billionaire Oei Hong Leong says Vancouver developer threatened ‘bodily harm’ in US$175 million lawsuit
- The Hongcouver Blog: Oei Hong Leong’s unproven lawsuit says Canada’s Concord Pacific tried to thwart efforts to find alternative partners to develop trophy site
- Concord denies Oei’s claims, which include assertions that Hong Kong deal maker Charles Chan conspired with Concord’s Terry Hui, and Hui’s deputy issued threats
It was a deal negotiated over fine wine and meals in luxury restaurants and mansions on both sides of the Pacific.
But the 2015 agreement between Singapore billionaire Oei Hong Leong and Vancouver developer Terry Hui to jointly develop a trophy site that Oei owns in the heart of the Canadian city would collapse in legal acrimony, despite their decades-long friendship.
Now, Oei is accusing Hui’s deputy of threatening “bodily harm”, in a C$245 million (US$175 million) lawsuit alleging that Hui tried to thwart Oei’s efforts to develop the 4.2 hectare (10.3 acre) Plaza of Nations site on Vancouver’s downtown waterfront, after his deal with Oei fell through.
The lawsuit claims Hui conspired with financier Charles Chan Kwok-keung – ex-chairman of Hong Kong broadcaster TVB – to block Oei from finding an alternative development partner to Hui’s Concord Pacific.
The claims in the lawsuit, filed on March 3 in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, are unproven and untested in court.
Concord has yet to file a response, but told the South China Morning Post it strongly disputed the allegations.
