HONG KONG: Hong Kong property tycoon Thomas Kwok and the government’s former deputy leader Rafael Hui were found guilty of corruption yesterday in a trial that shocked a city known for clean governance.
Kwok’s billionaire brother Raymond was cleared after a seven-month trial over payments of HK$34m ($4.38m) the prosecution said were made to Hui to be their “eyes and ears” in government.
But in a complex case, the other pair were convicted over a payment of HK$8.5m made to Hui, dating from the months leading up to his 2005 appointment to the government’s second-highest post.
Hui, the most senior official ever arrested for graft, was found guilty on five of eight charges against him. Thomas Kwok was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and cleared on another two charges.
Hui, who prosecutors said enjoyed an extravagant standard of living that far outstripped his official salary, was also found guilty on charges relating to rent-free use of luxury apartments and acceptance of unsecured loans.
Thomas Kwok, 63 and his brother Raymond, 61, jointly chair development giant Sun Hung Kai Properties and were arrested along with Hui in a swoop by graft investigators two years ago.
Prosecutors said fat bribes were made to Hui, who served as chief secretary from June 2005 to June 2007, through a series of complicated transactions involving middlemen.
Two of the middlemen, Sun Hung Kai director Thomas Chan and Francis Kwan — the former non-executive director of investment firm New Environmental Energy Holdings — were both found guilty on two counts in the trial.
The case has stunned Hong Kong, where Sun Hung Kai is the biggest property developer by market capitalisation and owns some of the city’s most recognisable real estate including the 118-floor International Commerce Centre.
The two brothers are ranked 62 on the Forbes rich list and are worth an estimated $14.45bn dollars.AFP
