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Catholic former Chief Executive of Hong Kong convicted

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen found guilty of misconduct in public office, to be sentenced on Feb. 22
Catholic former Chief Executive of Hong Kong convicted

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, attends a Mass celebrating the century of the Our Lady of Fatima apparition on Jan. 17 in Hong Kong. (ucanews.com photo)

Published: February 20, 2017 10:41 AM GMT
Updated: February 20, 2017 12:46 PM GMT

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, a Catholic and former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, was found guilty of corruption and became the city's most senior civil servant ever to be convicted in a criminal trial on Feb. 17.

Tsang, who was the Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012, was on trial for misconduct and bribery during his last two years in office. He was remanded in custody on Feb. 20 and will be sentenced within the next few days.

Before the verdict, Tsang told the media on Feb. 17 that it was a pity that he could not go to church as too many reporters were following him. Tsang's wife Selina Pau also told the media that she prayed for her husband.

However, his religious convictions made no difference to Justice Andrew Chan who said, "It is highly unlikely the sentence will be suspended."

Tsang was convicted of failing to disclose plans to lease a luxury penthouse from an investor whose license applications he approved. The charge carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years.

Tsang was acquitted on another charge which alleged he had failed to declare that an architect he proposed for a government award had been employed as the interior designer of the penthouse.

The penthouse, prepared for his retirement, was in Shenzhen, a southern China city neighboring Hong Kong. It was within walking distance of a church as Tsang was in the habit of attending Mass every morning.

The jury was undecided on whether or not Tsang accepted a bribe in the form of redecoration and refurbishment. Prosecutors are pressing for a retrial on Feb. 20 before the court delivers its sentence. Prosecutor David Perry said a retrial was necessary given the seriousness of the allegations.

 

Reflections and prayer

Besides his trademark bow tie, Tsang is best known for his Catholic faith.

In a column he wrote before the verdict for AM730, a free news tablet, published on Feb. 20, Tsang used a prayer written by his beloved theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr to express himself: "God, grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Tsang said that working in the civil service for 45 years was the greatest honor of his life and he had no regrets. By the time the column was released, be the result good or bad, "it is no longer in my hands."

On Feb. 11, the English diocesan weekly, Sunday Examiner also published an article by Tsang, who revealed that he and his wife twice visited each of the six designated local churches for the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016.

Tsang also attended a special Mass in January with his wife when a statue of Our Lady of Fatima came to Hong Kong to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparition.

Hong Kong has a higher proportion of Christians holding senior government posts due to its colonial history and the Catholic and Protestant churches' influence through their high-quality schools and universities.

Yet the scandals of Christian government officials continue to mount and Christian lawmakers are increasingly defending the interests of communist Beijing as it tightens its grip on the former colony.

Views on Tsang are split among Catholics. Some thought he was an effective chief executive and hoped he would receive a lighter sentence while others thought he deserved punishment for his perceived greediness.

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