Carson Yeung denied knowing that business associate Cheung Chi Tai was a suspected triad as his long running court case entered its forty-fourth day in court today.

He told the court “I didn’t know, I just knew he was a business associate between 2005 and 2007” when asked if he knew Cheung was a suspect member of a triad society. Carson had earlier confirmed to the court receiving HK$20million from Cheung as a repayment of an investment in 2007.

The court heard how Yeung had met casino boss Cheung along with colleague Lin Cheuk Fung several times per month in Hong Kong with the Blues president naming Cheung as a business associate and friend. Cheung Chi Tai was named by a police witness as a leader of the Wo Hop To Triad society in a Hong Kong court in 2009.

The Birmingham City supremo had earlier told the court that he treated gambling “as if it was a business” when asked about his success in claiming HK$62.5million in baccarat winnings in one month. The packed courtroom heard how he had banked twelve seperate cheques from casino operators SJM over a period of three weeks in December 2004 and January 2005 totalling the equivalent of £5million.

The former hairdresser also confirmed that he had received a further HK$10million in winnings into his father’s account in March 2006. He also confirmed receiving several cheques drawn on individual staff’s personal accounts in 2005/06 with the implication that this was to circumvent the rule change stopping cash cheques from leaving Macau.

The court heard how Carson had gone on to invest HK$26.4million in a VIP room in the Neptune casino in Macau, which was owned by majority shareholders Lin and Cheung.

Carson had shocked the court by telling the prosecution that he hadn’t had time to read his expert witness Ian Robinson’s statement – this was despite the prosecution adjourning the trial for two weeks to study it for themselves. When challenged on this, Carson repeated that he hadn’t had time and he went on to say that he disagreed with his expert witness’s report, stating that Ian Robinson had “found information on the internet” and had written “according to his feelings”.

The case resumes tomorrow at 9:30am. However, tomorrow will be a shortened day and it is likely now the cross-examination will finish on Monday.

Comments on this article have been disabled.

Tags: Carson Yeung, Cheung Chi Tai, The Trial