Donald Tsang put forward idea of nominating interior designer for city award, ex-aide testifies
Former chief executive’s secretary tells court that ex-leader of city proposed honour for designer engaged in his HK$3m penthouse refurbishment
But Tsang was not insistent that interior designer Barrie Ho Chow-lai be nominated, his former secretary told the jury.
Testifying on Wednesday, Kenneth Mak Ching-yu, the former permanent secretary of Tsang’s office, said typically a bureau would proceed with such a suggestion “unless they had a strong reason against” doing so.
Tsang, 72, is on trial for concealing his ties with Ho, who charged HK$350,000 to carry out HK$3 million in refurbishment work at a Shenzhen penthouse the former chief executive intended to call home after he left office in 2012.
The prosecutors accused Tsang of abusing the city’s honours and awards system by nominating Ho for a medal without disclosing to relevant bodies that the designer had been engaged to carry out “tailor-made” design work for the chief executive between 2010 and 2012.
The two sums incurred, the prosecutors alleged, were both paid for by companies connected to businessmen Bill Wong Cho-bau. The companies also owned the Shenzhen flat.
