Ex-Senegal official to testify against former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho in US bribery case, prosecutors say
‘Substantial evidence’ to be delivered by co-defendant-turned-witness in US$2.9 million bribery case
An ex-Senegalese official would “provide substantial evidence of the defendant’s guilt” when testifying against former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping, US prosecutors have said.
It was the first official acknowledgement that Cheikh Gadio would be a witness and no longer a co-defendant following a court ruling in New York two weeks ago that all charges against the former foreign minister of Senegal and US resident be dropped.
It also confirmed the Post’s previous report that one of the conditions for dropping the charges was that Gadio provide information relating to the case against Ho, as Gadio had been doing and would continue to in the future.
“Gadio has been meeting with the government for some time and he is expected to testify at trial pursuant to a recently executed non-prosecution agreement,” US justice department attorney Geoffrey Berman wrote in a letter to Judge Loretta Preska of the Southern District Court of New York on Friday.
Gadio’s testimony will provide substantial evidence of the defendant’s guilt
“Gadio’s testimony will provide substantial evidence of the defendant’s guilt,” Berman added.