UK Edition
Hong Kong's former leader Donald Tsang could be stripped of knighthood, after he was jailed for 20 months for misconduct
A former leader of Hong Kong could be stripped of the knighthood that was bestowed on him by Prince Charles hours before the city’s handover to China after he was jailed for 20 months.
Donald Tsang, who was one of the city’s most well-known politicians both before and after British colonial rule ended in 1997, was sentenced on Wednesday on charges relating to misconduct in public life.
He is the highest ranking official to be convicted in Hong Kong.
Although he has not used the title ‘Sir’ since Hong Kong became a Chinese territory, Tsang could face the ‘forfeiture’ of his knighthood under the rules of the British honours system.
The former politician, who was known for his fondness of bow ties, was led away from court in handcuffs to a hospital he had been staying at since Monday after experiencing chest pains.
Tsang, aged 72, had previously said he had "every confidence" he would be exonerated. His wife, who had been crying in court, immediately signaled that her husband would appeal the sentence, reports said.
The charges relate to Tsang's failure to disclose plans to lease a luxury flat in Shenzhen, which is just across the border from Hong Kong.
His negotiations were conducted with property tycoon Bill Wong Cho-bau, who was a major investor in a now defunct broadcaster which was at the time seeking a licence from the Hong Kong government.
Tsang was acquitted on a second misconduct charge, but will face a retrial for a third charge for which jurors failed to return a majority verdict.
Judge Andrew Chan had signaled that he would sentence Tsang to 30 months, but reduced the term for his “public service” over the last 40 years.
Senior figures from Hong Kong’s political establishment wrote to the court to vouch for his good character.
Tsang joined the colonial civil service in 1967, rising to become Financial Secretary at the time of the handover. He was knighted by the Prince of Wales shortly before the ceremony, but has chosen not to officially use the title.
Honours, including knighthoods, can be taken away from people “who have done something to damage the honours system’s reputation”, a British government website said.
Among the examples that could result in a ‘forfeiture’ was a person being “sentenced to prison for at least 3 months for a criminal offence”.
Tsang served as chief executive between 2005 and 2012, a position that is elected by a committee of pro-Beijing ’special interest groups’.
Hong Kong’s democracy is known to be relatively free of corruption, but concerns have been raised over the close ties of the city’s leaders and influential business titans.
Rafeal Hui, one of Tsang’s leading officials, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2014 after he was found to have taken bribes from property tycoon Thomas Kwok, who is from one of Hong Kong’s richest families.