Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang was sentenced to 20 months in prison for misconduct today becoming the city's highest-ranked official to ever be put behind bars.
Tsang, the second chief executive (2005-2012) after Hong Kong’s return to China, was indicted in 2015 in two cases of corruption in connection to a three-storey house in Shenzhen, reportedly a gift from businessman Bill Wong Cho-bau in exchange for a digital radio broadcasting license for Wave Media, a company of which Wong is a shareholder. The flat is worth around HK$ 50 million but Tsang is said to have paid only HK$ 800,000.
The second charge relates to the flat’s renovation. Under existing rules, executive councillors are required to inform the Executive Council if they are discussing applications. This is aimed at avoiding any conflicts of interest. Tsang failed to do so.
The trail has divided Hong Kong. Many people in Hong Kong respect Tsang for his joviality, his faith (he goes to Mass every day), and what he has done during his term in office.
Before sentencing, 40 prominent Honk Kongers, including political friends and foes, wrote to the court as character witnesses asking for clemency. This might explain why the sentence was reduced from 30 to 20 months.
Before his court appearance, Tsang spent the last two days in the hospital with a serious cough. After the hearing, his wife, Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei, said the family would appeal.
The court announced that it would restart the trial on the second corruption charge against Tsang in September as the jury failed to reach a majority verdict last Friday.
Defence lawyer Clare Montgomery QC said missing pieces showed the weakness of the prosecution’s case.
