Former Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang has been found guilty of misconduct in office, in a case related to his use of a luxury flat in China.<\/p>\n
Mr Tsang, who led Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012, had faced three charges of misconduct and bribery.<\/p>\n
He was cleared of a second count of misconduct and the jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of accepting an advantage.<\/p>\n
Mr Tsang is the most senior Hong Kong official to face a corruption trial.<\/p>\n
The case has worried a territory that prides itself on its relatively clean reputation.<\/p>\n
Designer flat<\/h2>\n
The charges, which each carried a maximum of seven years in prison, related to events which took place near the end of his term between 2010 and 2012.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors accused Mr Tsang of engaging in a number of conflicts of interest without declaring them, including renting a luxury flat in mainland China from the shareholder of a broadcast company, Wave Media, whose license applications he approved.<\/p>\n
They alleged the flat was redecorated for free for him and that he later nominated the interior designer for an honour.<\/p>\n
The jury, which deliberated for two days, found him guilty of misconduct over his failure to disclose the lease of the flat, but dismissed the charge related to the designer.<\/p>\n
It did not reach a verdict on whether he accepted a bribe in the form of the refurbishment. Sentencing will take place on Monday, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
Mr Tsang, 72, has previously insisted his conscience is clear.<\/p>\n
A career civil servant, he rose through the ranks to become Hong Kong’s second chief executive, following Tung Chee-hwa.<\/p>\n
His deputy, former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui, was jailed for accepting bribes from a property tycoon in 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n