HON KONG , China (Reuters) — Hong Kong’s former leader Donald Tsang, the highest-ranking official ever to be charged in the city’s history, will make a plea for a bribery charge on Tuesday (January 3) as his graft trial began.
Tsang, 72, dressed in a black suit and black bow tie, walked into court with two security guards. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of misconduct in public office during a pre-trial in December 2016.
The charges alleged Tsang accepted free renovations on his rental penthouse under the Shenzhen East Pacific Group, owned by property tycoon and member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Bill Wong Cho-bau.
Tsang failed to disclose his rental negotiations with Wong while his cabinet discussed and approved a digital broadcasting license for a now defunct radio company, in which Wong was a major shareholder, Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency the Independent Commission Against Corruption alleged.
Tsang, nicknamed “bow tie Tsang” for his fashion choice, retired as Chief Executive in 2012. The son of a police officer, Tsang enjoyed a high-flying career, rising through the ranks in civil service to serve as colonial Hong Kong’s first ethnic Chinese financial secretary just before the handover in 1997.
He became the financial hub’s second Chief Executive in 2005 after his unpopular predecessor Tung Chee-hwa resigned citing health problems. Half a million people protested against national security legislation and demanded Tung to resign in 2003.
His trial is expected to last for 20 days.