Five Hong Kong residents and three mainlanders were produced at Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court yesterday in connection with the murder of millionaire Harry Lam Hon-lit at a luxurious tea house at Central in 2002.

Family members of the accused, however, refused to comment on the court proceedings, which is expected to last for three days.

Meanwhile, some mainland family members expressed discontent as they were refused entry while the family members of the accused Hongkongers were allowed to enter the court. However, all relatives were permitted to enter the court by the afternoon.

The murder incident had hit the headlines both in Hong Kong and on the mainland and in joint operation by the Hong Kong and mainland police, the accused were nabbed before long.

The 54-year-old Lam, director of Hong Kong-based Digger Holdings and an investor in the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, was gunned down with a single bullet in Luk Yu Tea House in Central on November 30, 2002 while he was having his breakfast.

It had been alleged (the media reported) that the chairman of a Hong Kong business group Yeung Ka-on, who started his career with minor acting roles in action movies, had hired 47-year-old Lau Yat-yin to assassinate the millionaire in 2002.

Lau then spent HK$2 million to hire 47-year-old Tse Bing, who then used HK$400,000 to hire 27-year-old Yang Wen and 22-year-old Zhang Zixin to kill Lam.

It had also been alleged that Yang and Zhang had changed names into You Xianchun and Hong Gengdong, and entered Hong Kong as tourists on November 27, 2002.

Tse had given the pictures of Lam obtained from Lau to the killers, and briefed them on Lam's lifestyle, including his cigar- smoking habit and frequent visit to the tea house.

Mainland police arrested Zhang in Changsha, Hunan Province, a month later, and Tse in Yunnan Province.

Mainland police arrested Yang in Zhang Jiajie in January, and Lau in November 2003. But the prosecution document did not specify the motives behind the murder.

Mastermind Yeung was once an actor with Hong Kong's Asia Television.

He gained popularity on the mainland by starring in drama kung fu legend Huo Yuanjia in 1981, and appearing in TV commercials.

Yeung was also once a director, and entered the business sector. He is involved in property development, catering and investment business.

Yeung had allegedly close connection with triad groups and Lau Yat-yin, who illegally migrated to Hong Kong in 1979 and later became the master of Hong Kong's Hunan gangster group.

Police were yet to ascertain the murder motive , but there was speculation that Yeung had frequently visited the Mission Hills Golf Club to develop contacts with business leaders.

It was also reported that Yeung was arrested on December 2, 2005 together with his staff Ho Ho-fu and driver Chui Ming-yeung, who handed over Lam's photos to Lau.

Lau was arrested in January 2004 with another Hong Kong resident Tang Tak-hau, 41. But Tang would not appear in the trial.

Hong Kong police had offered HK$1 million reward for the capture of the murderers.