The Chan Hok-yan sex scandal was a highly publicized case in Hong Kong that started in December 2010, involving former Asian Games athlete Chan Hok-yan (陳學殷) and an anonymous wealthy individual referred to as "rich tycoon X" (富商X) by the media.[1] The scandal resulted in a court case where Chan was accused of blackmailing X for HK$3 million over a sex tape that was intended to be used as evidence against X. The identity of X is protected due to their wealth, and the judge and Hong Kong court have emphasized that it must remain confidential.[2][3]
Profile
editPrior to the scandal, Chan Hok-yan is mostly known in Hong Kong as a boat rower who participated at the Bangkok 1998 Asian Games at the age of 15. In 2010 she is 27 years old, married with a son.[1]
The rich tycoon is known to be a 72-year-old business man (born 1928).[1] Though some sources suggest he is 73 years of age, and that they are 46 years apart.[2] He is married.[1][4]
Scandal
editX first met Chan Hok-yan in a Chinese restaurant in 2005, when she worked as a receptionist. Six months later, he arranged to have Chan Hok-yan work in his company as a shipping clerk.[1] Later, he gave her two checks for HK$70,000 and HK$100,000 when he learned she was pregnant and getting married in 2006.[1] They met three times in a motel in 2010, and had sex in the second meeting.[1]
On 12 May 2010 X received an unsigned letter accusing him of treating her like a prostitute. Chan threatened to publicize their sexual relationship with a videotape if X did not deposit HK$3 million into a bank account.[1] Thus began the court case where Chan is accused of blackmailing X.[5]
Court case
editOn 6 December 2010 X testified at the HK District court. X protected his identity behind a screen, spoke in Cantonese with a mainland China accent and appealed for leniency.[1] X said Chan Hok-yan was having financial difficulties and had no money to pay for school fees. Later in an interview, Chan admitted she never had a videotape. She just wanted to scare him.[1] During the case, she proclaimed loudly that she was "Not a chicken (prostitute)".[6]
On 14 January 2011 Chan has been sentenced to 15 month in imprisonment by the District Court. The judge said he did not think she was remorseful at all.[7]
Responses
editThe case has generated nonstop heated responses online urging netizens to guess who the rich tycoon is.[8] According to the lawyer, he warned the public that the name of X cannot be revealed, and compared it to "provoking the fight carries the same offence as participating in the fight".[8]
Comparison
editIn the 1980s a similar blackmail case occurred involving a Mr X unknown male. Celebrity TVB staff member Ivan Ho (何守信) was eventually revealed to be the mystery person.[9] Another case occurred in August 2011 involving mainland female Ki Chun-yim (祈春艷) and another Mr X.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Standard HK. "The Standard.com Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine." Leniency plea for rower in $3m `sex-tape' case. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ a b Yahoo.com. "Yahoo.com." 陳學殷險爆X富商身分 稱原盼共組家庭. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ Metroradio.com.hk. "Metroradio.com.hk." 本港七旬富商被英國華裔女子勒索. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ Singtao.ca. "Singtao.ca Archived 2010-12-13 at the Wayback Machine." 我的. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ RTHK.org. "RTHK.org." Blackmail case adjourned again. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ HKdailynews.com.hk. "HKdailynews.com.hk Archived 2010-12-12 at the Wayback Machine." 划艇女不滿被當「雞」. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ RTHK "RTHK.org.hk."
- ^ a b Cdnews.com.tw. "Cdnews.com.tw Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine." 大陸/勒索案事主富商X身分疑曝光 香港警方介入調查. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.
- ^ 翁靜晶. [2009] (2009). 危險人物V. 天地圖書有限公司出版. ISBN 978-988-219-071-9.
- ^ South China morning post. Evil woman jailed for HK$139m extortion plot. Sept 08, 2011.