B.C. Court Rejects $160M Claim in Case Tied to Murder, Fraud Allegations

A British Columbia court has dismissed a $160 million civil claim tied to a high-profile case involving a contract killing, international business dealings and disputed debts.

In a ruling this week, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Gordon Funt described the case as “both extraordinary and ordinary” — extraordinary for its dramatic background, but ordinary in its reliance on standard legal principles.

A case rooted in murder and business ties

The lawsuit was brought by the family of Changbin Yang, a businessman who was murdered in 2017 in Yichang, China.

Yang’s business associate, Long Ni, was later convicted of ordering the killing and executed in China in 2020.

Yang’s family claimed that Ni owed them more than $160 million through a complex web of loans, IOUs and business arrangements tied to mining ventures and real estate.

Court finds evidence unreliable

Justice Funt ultimately rejected the claim, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to prove their case on a balance of probabilities — the standard required in civil litigation.

The judge found that:

• Key financial documents were missing or unreliable

• Witness testimony was inconsistent and not credible

• Some claims may have misled courts in China

“I do not have evidence that is sufficiently clear, convincing and cogent,” Funt wrote in his decision.

He also raised concerns that previous judges may have been misled, questioning whether the same was happening again in this case.

Disputed wealth and loans

Yang’s family described him as one of the wealthiest businessmen in his region and claimed he had loaned Ni vast sums of money.

However, the court found little documentation to support those claims, including missing records of alleged assets such as a hotel and mining interests.

While the judge acknowledged that some loans likely occurred, he said the scale of the alleged debt could not be verified.

Questions over testimony

The court also took issue with the credibility of key witnesses, including Yang’s wife, who provided conflicting accounts about witnessing loan agreements.

In addition, the court found that certain corporate arrangements used to support the claim appeared misleading, with no clear evidence they reflected actual financial obligations.

Vancouver real estate claims dismissed

A major portion of the claim centred on luxury properties in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood, which Yang’s family alleged were purchased using borrowed funds.

But again, the judge found insufficient proof linking those purchases to loans from Yang.

He noted it was unlikely a seasoned businessman would provide such large unsecured loans without proper documentation.

Final ruling

In the end, the court awarded no damages to Yang’s family.

The decision underscores the importance of clear documentation and credible evidence in complex financial disputes — even in cases involving dramatic and tragic circumstances.

Despite the extraordinary backdrop of murder and international intrigue, the case ultimately failed on fundamental legal grounds.