Ex-Hong Kong leader in custody over misconduct

Hong Kong's former chief executive was taken into custody on Monday over charges of misconduct, authorities said.

The sentence against Donald Tsang, which can go up to a maximum of seven years in prison, is expected to be pronounced in two days, Efe news reported.

Tsang, 72, is the highest-ranking former government official in the history of Hong Kong to face criminal trial in connection with the use of a luxury three-storey penthouse apartment in Shenzhen, China.

Tsang, Hong Kong's Chief Executive between 2005 and 2012, faced a one-and-half-month long trial over three charges of bribery and misconduct.

On February 17, a city court declared Tsang guilty in one of the two counts of misconduct and abstained from ruling on the bribery charge due to a lack of agreement among the jury.

The jury considered Tsang guilty of negotiating the approval of license applications for Digital Broadcasting Corporation with one of its leading shareholders, Bill Wong Cho-bau, for his company between 2010 and 2012 when Tsang was the head of the Hong Kong government.

The businessman had apparently rented out a luxury apartment in Shenzhen to Tsang at a lower price and remodelled and decorated the apartment for free in exchange for the licences.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption started the investigation against Tsang in 2012.

--IANS

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