Hong Kong: Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang may have to face retrial on bribery charges because a jury failed las tweek to reach a decision in the matter, prosecutors said Monday.
Tsang is accused of accepting free redecorating for a luxury Shenzhen pent house he planned to retire in - at an estimated value of 3.35 million Hong Kong dollars. The prosecution said the “seriousness” of the allegation and the public interest made “retrial necessary.”
The jury came back with no decision on Friday. At the same time, Tsang, 72, was cleared of a misconduct charge in relation to hisnomination of an interior designer involved in the redesign of his penthouse for government honours.
But Tsang was found guilty of misconduct in a public office for his failure to declare to the city’s Executive Council that he was intalks with a major shareholder of digital broadcaster Wave Media about the same penthouse.
At the time, Wave Media was seeking a broadcasting license from his administration.
He is the highest ranking public official to be convicted of criminal wrongdoing in Hong Kong history.
The conviction carries a maximum seven-year sentence if a retrial is granted. The defence has requested sentencing be postponed until after a retrial in that case.
During mitigation, the defence presented letters in support of Tsang.The letters, including one from the former justice secretary WongYan-lung, veteran democratic politician Martin Lee and chiefexecutive candidate Carrie Lam - as well notes from ordinary people -spoke of his exemplary public service record before this incident. — dpa
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