By Andrew Warshaw
April 29 – Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering today as his legal team called for the case to be thrown out.
The Hong Hong-based businessman is accused of illicitly laundering more than HK$720m (£59.72m) through bank accounts controlled by himself and his father but denied five charges which prosecutors said occurred between 2001 and 2007
The allegations predate Yeung’s involvement with Birmingham City, which he took over in October 2009. He was arrested two years later though the precise nature of the charges against him have not been publicised, merely that they involve money deposited into bank accounts before he won a takeover battle for Birmingham City for £81.5m.
Trading in Birmingham International Holdings (BIH), the company which owns Birmingham City FC, has been suspended since the arrest of Yeung, its largest shareholder.
Yeung’s legal team told a judge in Hong Kong that police started investigating his financial transactions in 2008 but didn’t arrest him until June 2011, 10 years after the alleged wrongdoing began.
The elapsed time, they argued, meant a vital opportunity was lost to obtain relevant documentation. Yeung’s lawyer, Graham Harris SC, said documents that might be crucial to the defendant’s case were no longer available, rendering a fair trial impossible.
“The unavailability of materials results in serious prejudice against Mr Yeung,” Harris said, adding that it would be “monstrously unfair” if the trial proceeded.
Birmingham won the 2011 League Cup, ending 48 years without a major trophy, but were relegated from the English Premier League the same year.
Before his takeover, Yeung was a relatively unknown businessman whose only previous experience with professional football was as chairman of Hong Kong Rangers from 2005-06. His trial had had been due to start last November but he won a delay after his lawyers said more time was needed to gather evidence.
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