Too little time left and too late for impreachment

Tycoon rejects 'collusion'

Eddie Luk

Friday, February 24, 2012

Donald Tsang is involving 'collusion' with rich and powerful including most bankers and developers for a long time. But with few months left there is no chance for any HK Watergate type of process to be done here for all his 'collusion' crimes. The following is articles by HK standards:

"Mainland tycoon Wong Cho-bau yesterday denied claims of collusion by critics over his leasing out of a luxury Shenzhen penthouse to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
Wong, who has extensive business interests in Hong Kong, is one of the principal investors in Digital Broadcasting Corp, a radio station headed by former legislator "Taipan" Albert Cheng Jing-han.

Tsang earlier said his wife, Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei, rented the suite in Futian's Donghai Garden - which was developed by East Pacific (Holdings) and owned by its chairman, Wong - as a retirement home after his seven-year term ends in June.

Wong said the broadcaster is in the red and its business prospects are dire.

"How could this be collusion?" said Wong, who is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"I should make money [if there is any collusion]. Actually, I really want to quit the business."

The Chinese-language newspaper Oriental Daily reported the Tsangs had rented a penthouse of about 10,000 square feet with a rooftop in the luxury residential complex.

The penthouse contains more than a dozen rooms, an outdoor garden, a wine cellar and a gymnasium. The report said renovations cost about 14 million yuan (HK$17.2 million).

The Tsangs are said to be paying about 1 million yuan to rent the unit for one year - which would translate into about HK$102,600 a month.

Wong agreed there would have been less of a furor if the penthouse was rented to someone else.

"I wouldn't have all this trouble if I rented the premises to a merchant and not a renowned politician," he said.

Wong laughed off reports that he is spending up to 15 million yuan on renovations, saying "[the complex] is not located in Hong Kong. [The company] doesn't need to spend such a huge sum of money for renovations in the mainland."

Last month, the Executive Council approved Digital Broadcasting Corp's application to allow former education chief Arthur Li Kwok-cheung to serve as its chairman and director.

Li was originally barred from taking up the chairman's post under the Telecommunications Ordinance, because he is the brother of banker and lawmaker David Li Kwok-po, who has served as an independent non-executive director of rival PCCW.

But the government said later that since Digital Broadcasting and PCCW Media, an associated company of PCCW Ltd, operate in two separate and distinct broadcasting markets, the Exco's approval would not undermine the competition landscape in the broadcasting industry.

Separately, Tsang has admitted he took trips on private jets to Phuket and Japan as well as being entertained on luxury yachts off Macau twice during his term.

But he stressed that he had paid the market rate for the travel expenses.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen said the chief executive is bound by the code of conduct for principal officials, which bars them from accepting extravagant benefits. Tam said the code is aimed at reminding political appointees to avoid conflicts of interest, embarrassment or damage to their reputation.

Some pan-democratic lawmakers have threatened to start the impeachment process if Tsang refuses to appear in the Legislative Council to answer questions on his holiday trips.

Labor Party lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan said the pro- democracy camp is planning to invoke the legislature's Powers and Privileges Ordinance to demand that Tsang disclose more details on accepting invitations from tycoons by using their private jets and yachts for personal travel.

Ho also did not rule out initiating an impeachment procedure.

However, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmaker Chan Kam-lam said it is too early to talk about impeachment, since there is no clear evidence that Tsang accepted benefits from tycoons and violated the anti-bribery laws."