The Seven Cardinal Sins of Hong Kong's Former Chief Executive
By Tianya Buyi (天涯布衣)
【Editor’s Note: Donald Tsang, Hong Kong’s former Chief Executive, was sentenced by the High Court, making him the highest-ranking official convicted in the city’s history. His downfall stemmed from multiple ethical violations, including accepting a luxury yacht trip from billionaire Joseph Lau (刘銮鸿) and pressuring the Medical Council to waive licensing exams for his son. Tsang also utilized his position for personal gain by accruing credit card points during official trips. His most severe offense was renting a luxury Shenzhen duplex at below-market rates from Wong Cho-biu (黄楚标), a developer linked to a broadcasting license he approved. The incidents collectively revealed a pattern of misconduct, culminating in his public disgrace. Tsang left the courthouse in silence, accompanied by his wife and son, while his sister pleaded with the press, asking, “Could you please leave us a bit of dignity?”】
Donald Tsang (曾荫权), Hong Kong's former Chief Executive, was sentenced by the High Court, becoming the highest-ranking official to be prosecuted and convicted since the city's establishment.
This case marks a watershed moment in Hong Kong's history; allow me to recount the particulars concisely.
The principal catalysts leading to his conviction were the following incidents:
February 18–19, 2012: Donald Tsang and his wife attended a spring dinner event at the City of Dreams casino in Macau, where they dined with an assemblage of gambling hall figures, loan shark syndicate members, nightclub employees, and several prominent triad leaders.
February 9–12, 2012: Tsang and his wife, accompanied by over a dozen tycoons, traveled to and from Thailand aboard a tycoon's private jet, subsequently returning to Hong Kong on a super-luxury yacht valued at HKD 152 million, owned by billionaire Joseph Lau (刘銮鸿). Tsang later acknowledged that during his seven-year tenure, he had made four overseas trips using tycoons' yachts and private jets.
Tsang subsequently asserted that he had paid the proprietors for the airfare and yacht fees at market rates for each journey. However, Legislative Council members vehemently criticized Tsang, deeming it "ludicrous" to claim that he traveled on a luxury yacht at the price of a standard Hong Kong-Macau ferry ticket. Private fraternization with tycoons could easily lead the public to suspect that policy measures related to the property market during his tenure were biased in favor of real estate developers.
2005: Tsang received a used treadmill from a real estate developer dating back to 1998, yet the Chief Executive's Office insisted it was merely "on loan."
2001: To circumvent exorbitant automobile taxes, Tsang procured a Mercedes-Benz sedan from the UK at the modest price of over HKD 800,000.
1996: His eldest son, Tsang Hing-yin (曾庆衍), returned after graduating from medical school in the UK. To facilitate his son's medical practice, Tsang brazenly used the Financial Secretary's letterhead to pressure the Medical Council to exempt his son from the licensing examination.
During his tenure as Chief Executive, Tsang undertook multiple official overseas visits. When checking into hotels, accompanying officials' expenses were uniformly settled by government departments, yet he insisted on charging expenses to his personal credit card before seeking reimbursement from public funds, thereby accruing reward points in the process.
The pivotal reason leading to his conviction: After retirement, Tsang resided in Shenzhen. On February 23, 2012, several newspapers reported that Tsang's retirement abode was a 500-square-meter duplex unit in the East Pacific Garden Junhao Pavilion (东海花园君豪阁) in Shenzhen, with an annual rent of merely RMB 80,000. Consequently, various sectors of society suspected a potential transfer of interests between the tycoon who developed the villa and Tsang—in 2009, Tsang had granted a license to Digital Broadcasting Hong Kong, and the proprietor of this property was Wong Cho-biu (黄楚标), a shareholder and director of Digital Broadcasting Hong Kong.
Upon meticulous examination of these seven events, one discerns the nuances therein. It transpires that a leader writing to subordinates to request leniency for his son's examination in Hong Kong constitutes a violation.
Even more lamentable is that the leader resorted to accumulating reward points through his credit card usage.
The treadmill utilized by the leader was, in fact, a second-hand device borrowed from another.
Post-retirement, the leader was compelled to rent accommodations. Yet, an annual rent of RMB 80,000 was deemed "exceedingly extravagant"...
On February 17, following the pronouncement of the verdict, Tsang clasped his wife's hand and, supported by his son, departed the courthouse.
Tsang remained mute, confronting the reporters in silence.
Just before entering the elevator, Tsang's sister addressed the reporters with a single plea:
"Could you please leave us a bit of dignity?"