One of the world's biggest tobacco companies has promised to pursue more than $20 million it is owed by a corrupt former Hong Kong executive following the city's most controversial cigarette-smuggling trial.
More than four years after disgraced official Jerry Lui Kin-hong was ordered to pay the money back, both the prosecution and restitution costs remain unpaid.
The former British American Tobacco (BAT) export director was convicted and jailed for plotting to receive bribes in connection with a massive tobacco smuggling racket in June 1998.
He was ordered to pay $10 million in costs to the prosecution and $21.25 million in restitution to his former employers.
'We fully intend to pursue this case and seek the money that was ordered to be repaid to us as part of the judgment,' said BAT corporate and regulatory affairs manager Doris Ho.
Mr Lui - against whom the secretary for justice filed a bankruptcy petition in June 2001 - has been released from prison and is understood to be living in Hong Kong.
'Our legal section is waiting for the Department of Justice to finalise its costs in this case and as soon as that process is over and done with, we will initiate our recovery proceedings,' Ms Ho said. 'It was implied we may not be prepared to follow through with this case, but we fully intend to. It is the principle of the matter as well as the judgment of the court.'