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Convoy stymies second-largest shareholder’s bid for board seat, repelling boardroom coup as court verdict looms on fraud case

  • Convoy’s lawyer stopped the meeting just 10 minutes after proceedings began and before any vote could be counted
  • Fred Ma said he has the support of 51.2 per cent of the votes for him to become chairman of Convoy Global Holdings

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The "@Convoy" building which houses the headquarters of Convoy Global Holdings in Hong Kong in December 2017. Photo: Bloomberg
Convoy Global Holdings succeeded in repelling an attempt by its second-biggest shareholder to remake the board and management of the company at the centre of Hong Kong’s biggest fraud case, days before the alleged ringleader is expected to receive a verdict in court.
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A shareholders’ meeting at Convoy’s Wan Chai office was stopped 10 minutes after proceedings began and before votes could be counted, by a corporate lawyer who only provided his surname Lam.

The company allowed only 25 people to attend the meeting, citing Hong Kong’s social-distancing rule to prevent coronavirus infections. Convoy’s spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

The halt marked the second failure since 2017 by Convoy’s second-biggest shareholder Kwok Hui-kwan to nominate his representatives to replace current directors appointed by the largest shareholder: the family of Richard Tsai Ming-hsing of Taiwan’s Fubon Financial Holding.

Frederick Ma Si-hang leaving the venue of Convoy Global Holdings’ shareholders meeting in Wan Chai on Thursday. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Frederick Ma Si-hang leaving the venue of Convoy Global Holdings’ shareholders meeting in Wan Chai on Thursday. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
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“I am deeply disappointed and feel sad about Hong Kong’s corporate governance,” said former Hong Kong financial services minister Frederick Ma Si-hang, who represents Kwok’s bid to get on Convoy’s board.

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