Birmingham City Owner Yeung Wins Court Permission to Travel to London

Date:2011-08-31lile  Text Size:

Carson Yeung, the former hairdresser who bought control of English soccer club Birmingham City in 2009 and is accused by Hong Kong police of money laundering, won permission from a judge to travel to London to meet with the management of his club.

District Court Judge Stanley Chan granted Yeung’s request to travel to London from Sept. 15 to Sept. 19 to speak with the soccer club’s players and management, doubling the cash bail Yeung must post while away to HK$8 million ($1 million).

Yeung, 51, had to surrender his travel documents as part of the conditions of bail that was granted June 30. He was charged with five counts of money laundering involving HK$721.3 million ($93 million). Jonathan Kwan, one of Yeung’s lawyers said at an Aug. 11 hearing that the businessman is needed in the U.K. because the period for player transfers ends at the end of the month. No plea was entered today.

Clive Grossman, Yeung’s lawyer at today’s hearing, told reporters outside court that his client denies all charges against him. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.

Yeung was released in June after posting HK$4 million in cash and HK$3 million in cash guarantees. Each charge he faces is punishable by up to 14 years in jail and a fine of as much as HK$5 million.

Birmingham was relegated from the Premier League last season, three months after winning the League Cup, its first major trophy in 48 years.

Birmingham, previously controlled by David and Ralph Gold and David Sullivan, was bought by Yeung in October 2009 in an 81.5 million-pound ($134 million) deal.

The case is Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Yeung Ka-sing Carson, DCC 860/2011 in the Hong Kong District Court.

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