New lead emerges in Anita Mui ashes theft case
SingTao · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A fresh but unverified lead has surfaced in the suspected theft of late Cantopop star Anita Mui’s ashes from Hoi Wui Pagoda at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. Film producer and screenwriter Manfred Wong said on Sunday that he had received information from Eva, chair of Mui fan club “Fong Sum Wui”, alleging that police traced a suspicious temple cleaner through restored bus dashcam footage. According to Wong’s account, the man, identified only as “Ah Keung”, resigned and flew to Southeast Asia shortly after the incident. Police have not publicly disclosed any such breakthrough, and the ashes have still not been recovered more than three months after the case was reported.
Key Points
- Mui’s ashes were said to have gone missing from Hoi Wui Pagoda at Po Lin Monastery, and the case has drawn renewed attention after fan groups said a police report had yielded no recovery for nearly three months.
- Wong said Eva, chair of the “Fong Sum Wui” fan club, passed on information that police used high-tech enhancement on blurry tour-bus dashcam footage to identify a suspicious figure.
- The footage allegedly showed a numbered temple cleaner leaving Hoi Wui Pagoda on a morning in early July and then heading into the wooded back-hill area.
- After checking duty records, investigators were said to have identified the worker as “Ah Keung”, who had already resigned and later boarded a flight from Hong Kong to Southeast Asia.
- Wong speculated that the likely motive was extortion for money, but said the death of Mui’s mother Tam Mei-kam on August 30 may have disrupted any plan to demand payment.
Why It Matters
The case has become more sensitive because it involves the remains of one of Hong Kong’s most iconic entertainers and raises questions about security and record-keeping at places where ashes are stored. For Hong Kong readers, the gap between circulating claims and the absence of official police confirmation also underlines the risk of speculation overtaking verified facts in high-profile cases.