Louis Koo’s production firm disputes HK$149m lawsuit, says claim ‘incomplete’

Hong Kong film actor and director Louis Koo Tin-lok’s production company has defended against allegations that it owes HK$149 million (US$19 million) in outstanding debts to an offshore firm, saying the claim was incomplete and violated confidentiality principles.

In a statement published on social media on Friday, One Cool Film Production said the civil lawsuit lodged by Sino Hero Ventures on Wednesday had concealed crucial details about a HK$70 million loan extended to Koo’s film production business in September 2019.

“The case presented by the plaintiff was incomplete. In particular, the plaintiff did not reveal the fact that [it] had been removed from the company registry and dissolved for nearly three years, during which we could not contact its authorised personnel,” the statement said.

The defendant in the High Court case also alleged that the plaintiff, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, had unlawfully disclosed details of their agreement that were protected by legal privilege.

“The company reserves all rights to pursue the matter. We will handle this matter with lawyers in a solemn manner,” the statement added.

Koo, one of Hong Kong’s most recognisable home-grown film stars, has appeared in more than 110 local productions after rising to fame as a television star in the late 1990s.