Chinese creditor wants millionaire murderer to cough up $1.5m

Fang Sun was found guilty of Elizabeth Zhong's murder after a six-week trial. Photo / Alex Burton

Millionaire murderer Fang Sun is being pursued by a Chinese creditor for a seven-figure sum, even while he is incarcerated in Paremoremo Prison.

Meng Bin wants Sun to cough up $1.5 million for a business deal in China that went sour several years ago.

A New Zealand court says he is entitled to the money.

In August last year, Fang Sun, then 55, was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole for at least 18 years and six months for the murder of his business partner in Auckland, Elizabeth Zhong.

He broke into her home in the early hours of the morning and stabbed her more than 20 times.

During a six-week trial last year, prosecutor Gareth Kayes said Sun believed Zhong had misappropriated money from their business, Sunbow Ltd. He also blamed her for causing more than $26 million in financial losses to him and his family.

Zhong, 55, denied misappropriation during a year-long civil court case before she died. She was never charged with a crime.

Sun’s latest financial trouble relates to a business deal between Meng Bin and Sun and some of his associates in China.

The parties had an “agreement of equity transfer”- a contract to transfer ownership rights in a business.

Sun and his associates failed to keep their side of the deal, and Meng Bin won a judgment enforcing the agreement in the Haidian District People’s Court in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in June 2019.

Sun and his business associates appealed against that judgment and failed.

In the New Zealand High Court, Justice Geoffrey Venning, said the judgment had been “partially enforced” in China, and there were no avenues for appeal left available to Sun.

He said Meng Bin made had made an application for a summary judgment in the New Zealand courts enforcing the Chinese decision, and Sun was served with papers in prison in November last year.

He has taken no steps to defend his case, Justice Venning said.

“In the circumstances and after hearing from counsel, the court is satisfied that the defendant Mr Sun has no arguable defence to the plaintiff’s claim against him,” the judge said.

“The plaintiff is entitled to the judgment he seeks, including interest and costs.”

The sum involved in New Zealand currency is $1,498,764.13.

Meng Bin’s Auckland lawyer, Michael Robinson, declined comment when asked if he intended to pursue insolvency or liquidation proceedings against Sun or his companies.