Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權), the highest-ranking ex-official to be charged in the territory’s history, was remanded in custody yesterday ahead of his sentencing later this week for misconduct in public office.
A nine-person jury earlier found that Tsang failed to disclose private rental negotiations with property tycoon Bill Wong Cho-bau (黃楚標) while his Cabinet discussed and approved a digital broadcasting license for a now-defunct radio company, Wave Media, in which Wong was a major shareholder.
Tsang, 72, is due to be sentenced tomorrow in what the judge said was unlikely to be a suspended sentence. He faces a possible seven-year sentence.
Photo: EPA
Tsang, in a white shirt, dark suit and trademark bow tie, yesterday entered Hong Kong’s High Court holding the hand of his wife, Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei (曾鮑笑薇).
Scores of high-profile Hong Kong officials, including former financial secretary John Tsang (曾俊華), former No. 2 government official Anson Chan (陳方安生), veteran pro-democracy barrister Martin Lee (李洲銘) and ex-chief justice Wong Yan-lung (黃仁龍), wrote letters in support of him.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Norman Chan (陳德霖) said in his letter that Hong Kong would not have survived the Asia financial crisis without Donald Tsang, who was then financial secretary.
Photo: Reuters
Prosecutors said they were proceeding with a retrial on a bribery charge for which jurors failed to return a majority verdict, because of the seriousness of the allegations.
Donald Tsang pleaded not guilty to one count of accepting an advantage and two counts of misconduct in public office between 2010 and 2012.
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