At his 1990 sentencing in Hong Kong, Charles Warwick Reid was ordered to pay HK $12.4 million (the value of his unexplainable assets). However, the funds in his Singaporean bank account had disappeared, and Mr. Reid never paid the fine. The Attorney General of Hong Kong pursued a civil case on behalf of the Crown in New Zealand to seize the three properties Mr. Reid owned in New Zealand. In 1993, the Privy Council in London held that the properties were held in constructive trust for the Crown. (Source: Attorney General for Hong Kong v. Reid, 1993 UKPC 2 [November 1, 1993])
A week after his release from Hong Kong and return to New Zealand, however, he was re-arrested on another bribery charge and again forced to forfeit properties that represented the proceeds of his corrupt activities. The High Court of Auckland ordered the seizure of Mr. Reid's assets, which included his family home in Tauranga, the Bay BodyFit Gymnasium, and his family trust funds. In a deal reached with Crown lawyers in 1997, Charles Warwick Reid dropped his appeal against the ruling, and the Reids were allowed to rent their former home at market rates for a period of six years, until their youngest child turned sixteen. (Source: AFP, "Ex-HK Prosecutor Warwick Reid gives up fight to keep assets," October 17, 1997.)
According to a judgment by the Hong Kong Court of Appeals, Mr. Reid pleaded guilty to violation of section 10(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and, in July 1990, he was sentenced by the Hong Kong High Court to an 8-year prison term. (Source: In the Matter of an Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial review and in the Matter of Charles Warwick Reid, Case No. CACV 149/2003, Judgement dated January 12, 1994.)
The prosecuting authority/civil attorney(s) was the Attorney General.
The courts involved were the Magistrates Court, High Court.
In the jurisdiction of asset recovery (New Zealand), the prosecuting authority/civil attorney(s) was Herbert Smith, London Agents for Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co (for Attorney General of Hong Kong, Privy Council).
The courts involved were High Court of Auckland, Court of Appeal of New Zealand, United Kingdom Privy Council.
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