Hong Kong tycoon and ex-deputy leader lose graft appeal bid
HONG KONG: Hong Kong property tycoon Thomas Kwok and ex-deputy leader Rafael Hui saw their appeal bids against graft convictions rejected yesterday as they faced serving out their jail time.
The pair were found guilty of corruption in 2014 after a blockbuster trial over a cash for favours scandal.
Francis Kwan and Thomas Chan, sentenced to five and six years respectively for acting as middlemen for the payments, also saw their appeals fail. A written judgement to the court of appeal Mondaysaid:“Theappealsagainst conviction of Rafael Hui, Thomas Kwok, Thomas Chan and Francis Kwan are dismissed.”
A frail-looking Hui and greyhaired Kwok were grim-faced during the hearing, which lasted less than a minute.
Former chief secretary Hui, 68, was the highest-ranking official in Hong Kong’s history to be found guilty of taking bribes.
The seven-month trial centred around a total of HK 34 million (US$4.3million)inhandouts,which the prosecution said were made to Hui by Kwok and his billionaire brother Raymond, to be their ‘eyes and ears’ in government.
Hui was jailed for seven-and-ahalf years in December 2014, while 64-year-old Kwok – who was joint chairman of Hong Kong’s biggest property company, Sun Hung Kai – was sentenced to five years.
The case shocked the city and deepened anger over cosy ties between officialdom and big business. Thomas Kwok’s son Adam said the rejection of the appeal was ‘disappointing’, adding he hoped the case would be brought to the Court of Final Appeal. — AFP