Former Hamilton sponsor jailed
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| Lewis Hamilton on Macau GP grid in 2004. Note Moulin sponsorship on his car |
12/12/10 A former sponsor of Lewis Hamilton, when the 2008 F1 World champion drove in Formula 3, has been jailed for 12 years after having been found guilty to committing fraud amounting to over $60 million. The fraudster is also the father of Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend Jodia Bo-kee.
Hong Kong businessman Ma Bo-kee, 67, was owner of the world’s leading world’s largest eyewear companies Moulin International before being declared bankrupt in 2007.
Hamilton met Jodia Bo-kee during college and they started dating. She helped arrange for Moulin International to sponsor Hamilton in the high profile 2004 Macau F3 race. That year he took pole position in qualifying at the tricky street circuit but spun out during the race.
In his 2008 autobiography My Story, Hamilton wrote about his ex-girlfriend Jodia Bo-kee: “At the time I was without McLaren, I had to find my own sponsorship money. Jodia said, ‘My dad owns this company in Hong Kong and would love to sponsor you.’ I told her there was no way I wanted to do that but she went away and sorted it out anyway."
Jodia Bo-kee reportedly are no longer in touch and Hamilton now dates 32-year-old Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.