Courts Stanley Ho’s sister-in-law acquitted of bribery in Hong Kong

A Macau businesswoman and a sister-in-law of gambling tycoon Stanley Ho has been cleared of bribery over an initial deposit on an apartment 15 years ago.

Cheyenne Chan was previously charged with bribery involving Wilson Fung, the former deputy secretary of Hong Kong’s Economic Development and Labour Bureau between 2003 and 2006.

Yesterday, Chan was found not guilty of offering an advantage to a public servant.

However, Fung was found guilty of misconduct in public office for failing to declare an obvious conflict of interest to the government.

The case centered on Chan’s settling of an initial HKD510,000 deposit on a flat bought by Fung, while he held a senior government post.

According to a report issued by the South China Morning Post, the pair were seen turning towards each other, smiling in the dock, before the guilty verdict against Fung was delivered.

Hong Kong’s district judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong said they had been a couple since December 10, 2003.

Since Fung was also married to a senior government official in Hong Kong, the couple went to Macau on 33 occasions and to mainland China on five occasions.

Fung was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on September 12. Misconduct in public office is punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment.

According to previous reports, Chan was a former director and shareholder of three airline and helicopter companies.

The District Court formerly heard that Fung accepted HKD510,000 from Chan on Sept. 28, 2004, but did not declare it to the government while handling applications from her companies, which included HK Express’ bids for new routes to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. LV