bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Danny Mok

Mainland state media yesterday repeated news that the boss of local newspaper Sing Pao Daily News was allegedly involved in illegal financial activities with a Shenzhen-based finance platform.
The report by Xinhua said Gu Zhuoheng, 44, chairman of pro-establishment Sing Pao Media Enterprises since October 2014, was wanted by Shenzhen police for an alleged connection to a case of illegally receiving some 150 million yuan (HK$173 million) from financial platform cnmeidai.com, based in Shenzhen.
Sing Pao chief in Hong Kong had multiple ID cards when arrested, pro-Beijing newspaper claims
Gu denied similar reports, published previously, in a statement in August, saying he had no relationship with the platform, which claimed to be China’s first online medium of its kind providing services from peer-to-peer lending to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Gu also stressed that he had been free to travel between Hong Kong and the mainland.
He earlier claimed he had been under revenge-driven political attack since last year because he would not submit to a “certain power”. He has not identified the power.
The details of the case had been carried by mainland media including Southern Metropolis Daily in April last year, and the semi official Hong Kong China News Agency in August this year. Some pro-Beijing newspapers in Hong Kong also repeated the reports.
Corruption claims had ‘significant impact’, CY Leung says, defending threat of legal action against Apple Daily
The recent reports followed an attack by the usually pro-establishment Sing Pao against Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in August. The newspaper accused Leung of allowing Beijing’s liaison office to interfere in domestic affairs, alleging the office might not be representative of the central government’s view.
Its attacks against Leung and the office escalated last month to include state leader Zhang Dejiang, who heads Hong Kong and Macau affairs.
The newspaper, known for its conservative editorial policy, first raised eyebrows in August with a full-page commentary accusing Leung of indirectly encouraging Hong Kong independence talk.


State media Xinhua repeats news of Sing Pao chief embroiled in alleged illegal funds scandal

Gu Zhuoheng says he has been under revenge-driven political attacks. Photo: SCMP

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Reports follow surprising column published by Gu Zhuoheng’s newspaper in August criticising chief executive and liaison office
