Hong Kong actor and producer Eric Tsang Chi-wai has won a long-running legal battle to recover unpaid film remuneration, with a Taiwanese court ordering a producer to pay damages.
In a ruling on Tuesday (Apr 8), Taiwan’s High Court, in a retrial, overturned an earlier decision and ordered veteran producer Chiu Li-kuan to pay Tsang about NT$57 million (HK$14 million).
The dispute dates back to Tsang’s work in Taiwan, where he entrusted his film earnings to late producer Pei Hsiang-chuan. The two settled accounts in 2003, confirming that Pei owed Tsang about HK$14 million, but the payment was never made before Pei’s death in 2015.
Pei left an estate worth more than NT$130 million (HK$32 million), which was bequeathed to his protégé Chiu.
Tsang filed suit in 2018, but the case went through multiple twists and turns. He initially lost in a lower court but later won on appeal. After the Supreme Court ordered a retrial, Tsang added Chiu as a co-defendant.
The latest ruling again found in favor of Tsang, with Chiu now liable for the payment. The case can still be appealed.
Chiu, a prominent figure in the Chinese-language entertainment industry, is known as a talent manager and producer. She has worked with major stars including Faye Wong and Na Ying.
