HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court has ordered a freeze on the assets of Huang Guangyu, founder of Chinese home appliance giant GOME, a writ filed by the city's financial regulator to the judicial office said Thursday.

The court has approved an application by the Securities and Futures Commission to prevent Huang and his wife Du Juan from removing or disposing of GOME shares worth 1.66 billion Hong Kong dollars (S$307 million), the document seen by AFP said.

Huang, one of China's richest men, is suspected of manipulating share trading in two mainland-listed companies, China's Securities Regulatory Commission said last year. He resigned from the firm in January.

He was detained by Chinese police in November for alleged economic crimes, although authorities have not confirmed specific charges. It is unclear where he is being held.

Trading of shares in GOME, a firm listed in Hong Kong, was suspended in November last year. But it was resumed in June after the company's new chairman Chen Xiao announced that private equity firm Bain Capital would invest US$233 million (S$334.4 million) in its new seven-year convertible bonds.