Cantonese language outlets in Hong Kong have today published stories linking one of the companies involved in Carson Yeung’s money laundering trial with the leaked papers from Panamanian lawyers Mossack Fonseca.

The papers confirm that Artune Ltd, a company owned by brothers Lin Cheuk Fung and Lin Cheuk Ming have been involved with two other money laundering trials as well as Carson’s. Lin Cheuk Fung (along with another brother, Lian Zhuozhao aka Lin Cheuk Chiu) was linked to the massive Bo Xilai corruption case.

Artune Ltd were linked with a HK$10million (circa £880k) payment which subsequently was sent to English solicitors Prince Evans.

There is some debate as to what that money was used for; one of Carson’s expert witnesses, Ian Robinson stated that the money was used to buy Carson’s London property (which Carson subsequently insisted was the case in court) while another (Mark Pulvirenti) said the money went towards the initial 29.9% purchase of Birmingham City FC in 2007 – an allegation which was also made by the prosecution.

Neither Lin Cheuk Fung no Lin Cheuk Ming were indicted in the aftermath of the Carson trial – unlike alleged Triad Cheung Chi Tai, whose name was linked to deposits sent to the same solicitor and who was a major shareholder in Neptune, a company which counted Lin Cheung Fung among it’s executive directors at that time.

With Carson’s final appeal due at the end of this month I’m sure he won’t want further information emerging about the people and companies who were proven to have deposited large sums of money into his account. I’m unsure as to the effect it may have on his case – if any – but with Hong Kong so heavily mentioned in the Panama Papers I think there will be more pressure on the authorities to ensure money laundering convictions stick.

Due to the nature of this piece, I have turned off comments.

Tags: Artune Ltd, Carson Yeung, Mossack Fonseca, The Trial