Stephen Chow Sing-chi admitted in High Court yesterday to having paid his ex-girlfriend Alice Yu Man-fung more than HK$14 million as commission.

Chow continued to defend himself before Justice Russell Coleman in the lawsuit, in which Yu is suing him for more than HK$70 million.

Chow said they started dating in 1998 and one of the reasons why he said in court on Wednesday that he agreed to give Yu a 10 percent commission in 2002 was because he wanted to encourage her to accompany him more frequently to property viewings.

Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, Yu's lawyer, questioned why Chow did not share a 10 percent commission with Yu when he earned a profit of HK$13 million from selling a property in Mong Kok's Sincere House in 2004. Chow said Yu did not ask for a commission at the time and maybe they forgot about it.

Yuen asked whether the reason why Yu did not receive a commission is that they had not agreed on the 10 percent commission when Chow purchased a property in Sincere House, Chow denied and said: "She and I did not have any commitment in Christmas."

Yuen said that in 2007, Yu received more than HK$70,000 as a reward for successfully investing in a stock.

Chow said he forgot about the details, adding, "if your girlfriend helped you earn some money and you give some to her, I think that's very normal."

According to an 2007 e-mail from Yu to Chow's assistant, Yu requested a 10 percent commission from investment on a property in Silver Fortune Plaza.

She received the commission even though the property was not sold, which Chow said was because "if your girlfriend needs the money then you give it to her."

Chow said Yu directly asked him to pay more than HK$14 million of profit-sharing from the investment of properties at Pollock's Path on the Peak. As it was a large amount, Chow did not agree immediately and they argued over the matter.

He added their arguments did not cease and he could not see her sad, so he decided to give her the money.

"I didn't care if [the term] commission was written on the agreement, I also did not think the document would turn into a legal action," Chow said, adding he did not write the term "commission" on the agreement.

Chow said Yu initiated a breakup in March 2010, but he only found out about their official breakup in July through a magazine.

"Breaking up means [the relationship] turned into a bad relationship the breakup means we are not even friends," Chow said

"When I learned Ms. Yu has a new boyfriend, I of course understood her situation we maintain a friendly relationship I am happy that she found someone she likes," he added.

The hearing continues today.

Stephen Chow

Chow admits paying ex-lover over $14m