Donald Tsang: Hong Kong Former Leader Sentenced to 20 Months

Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for misconduct.

Tsang led Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012 and is the most senior official in the territory ever to stand trial for corruption.

He was found guilty last week of misconduct in public office, in a case related to a luxury flat in China.

The case has worried a territory that prides itself on its relatively clean reputation.

In sentencing, Judge Andrew Chan said: “Never in my judicial career have I seen a man fall from so high.”

Tsang was cleared of a second count of misconduct, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of accepting an advantage.

Image captionTsang was nicknamed “Bowtie Tsang” by locals, after his usual choice of neckwear

Designer flat

The trial related to events which took place near the end of his term, between 2010 and 2012.

Prosecutors accused Mr Tsang of inappropriate and undeclared conflicts of interest, including renting a luxury flat in mainland China from the shareholder of a broadcast company whose licence applications he approved. They also alleged that flat was redecorated free of charge and that he later nominated the interior designer for an honour.

The jury found him guilty of misconduct over his failure to disclose the lease of the flat, but dismissed the charge related to the designer and did not reach a verdict on whether he accepted a bribe in the form of the refurbishment.

Image captionTsang, 72, previously said his conscience was clear

A career civil servant, Tsang rose through the ranks to become Hong Kong’s second chief executive, following Tung Chee-hwa.

His deputy, former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui, was jailed for accepting bribes from a property tycoon in 2014.

Courtesy : bbc