HONG KONG (AP) - A former leader of Hong Kong has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption over a luxury apartment in mainland China intended for his retirement.

Judge Andrew Chan said Monday that he was going to sentence Donald Tsang to 30 months in jail but took off 10 months because of his good character and contribution to Hong Kong.

Tsang was found guilty last week of one count of misconduct in office and not guilty on a second count. </s> Hong Kong's former leader has been jailed for 20 months, becoming the city's highest-ranking official to be put behind bars. Donald Tsang, who was Chief Executive from 2005 to 2012, was jailed by the High Court for 20 months after he was found guilty by a jury of misconduct in public office, according to broadcaster RTHK.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WICU12 Erie. </s> Hong Kong - Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Wednesday after a high-profile corruption trial found him guilty of misconduct during his time at the helm of the city.

Tsang, 72, who held the leadership post of chief executive for seven years from 2005, is the most senior city official ever to be convicted in a criminal trial and the highest ranking one to be put behind bars.

The six-week trial at the High Court came as residents lose faith in Hong Kong's leaders after a string of corruption cases fuel suspicions over links between public officials and business figures.

Tsang was found guilty on Friday of failing to disclose his plans to lease a luxury flat from a major investor in a broadcaster, which was later granted a licence from the government while he was leader.

"Never in my judicial career have I seen a man fallen from so high," judge Andrew Chan said in delivering the sentence.

Tsang's four decades of service to Hong Kong was "indisputable", but his breach of trust was "significant", Chan told the court packed with reporters and Tsang's relatives.

He "deliberately concealed" his dealing and negotiations, the judge said.

The former leader was photographed wearing his trademark bow tie and hand restraints as he was escorted to a prison van ahead of the hearing.

In 2012 he apologised over separate allegations that he had accepted inappropriate gifts from business friends in the form of trips on luxury yachts and private jets.

His former deputy Rafael Hui was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2014 after being found guilty of taking bribes from Hong Kong property tycoon Thomas Kwok. </s> The former leader of Hong Kong Donald Tsang has been sentenced to 20 months in jail following a corruption trial.

Tsang, 72, was Hong Kong's chief executive between 2005 and 2012 and is its most senior official to be convicted.

He was found guilty of misconduct for not revealing a conflict of interest after he did not disclose plans to lease a luxury flat from a major investor in a broadcaster, which later got a government licence.

He approved three applications from Wave Media between 2010 and 2012 at a time when he was in talks with the property mogul and Wave stakeholder Bill Wong Cho-bau, over a luxury penthouse.

In mitigation, his defence lawyer Clare Montgomery QC had asked for a suspended sentence and that the "ordeal" of the trial had taken a toll on Tsang's health.

He received more than 40 letters of support from allies and opponents.

"Mr Tsang must now serve the rest of his life out with the knowledge that his reputation has been ruined and his legacy shattered," she said during Monday's mitigation hearing, the South China Morning Post reported.

The Judge Andrew Chan had said he would sentence him to 30 months in jail but reduced it by 10 months because of his contribution to Hong Kong and his good character, the Associated Press reported.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on another bribery charge for which he will face a retrial later in the year. </s> HONG KONG (AP) — A former leader of Hong Kong was sentenced Wednesday to 20 months in prison for misconduct over a luxury apartment in mainland China intended for his retirement.

Judge Andrew Chan said that he was going to sentence Donald Tsang to 30 months in jail but took off 10 months because of his good character and contribution to Hong Kong.

“Never in my judicial career have I seen a man fallen from such a height,” Chan said as he handed down the sentence in a Hong Kong court. “However, it is not in dispute that the defendant has dedicated himself to public service for the past forty years.”

Tsang was found guilty last week of one count of misconduct in office and not guilty on a second count.

Tsang, 72, served as Hong Kong’s leader, or chief executive, from 2005 to 2012. He becomes the highest-ranking current or former official convicted of wrongdoing in the Asian financial hub, which prides itself on a reputation for clean governance.

It’s one of several recent cases that have shaken public confidence and raised concerns about cozy ties between Hong Kong’s leaders and wealthy tycoons.

This story has been corrected to show the day of sentencing was Wednesday, not Monday. </s> HONG KONG, Jan. 3 (UPI) — Donald Tsang, Hong Kong’s chief executive from 2005 until 2012, has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges related to a luxury apartment in China.

Tsang, 72, pleaded not guilty to three charges of bribery and misconduct. Prosecutors allege Tsang did not declare numerous conflicts of interest, including renting a three-story luxury apartment in Shenzhen from businessman Bill Wong Cho-bau, a shareholder of the Wave Media broadcast company.

Prosecutors allege Tsang approved the company’s license applications. The apartment was later redecorated for free, while Tsang later nominated the apartment’s interior designer, Barrie Ho Chow-lai, for an honor, prosecutors said.

Tsang is the highest-ranking official to ever face a criminal trial in Hong Kong history. The trial will be determined by a panel of nine jurors.

Tsang faces up to 21 years in prison, as each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years. He was initially popular when taking office, promising a “clean and efficient” tenure, but his popularity plummeted amid corruption allegations in his last years in office. </s> Hong Kong's former leader Donald Tsang, who ended his term in disgrace after accepting favours from tycoons, pleaded not guilty to bribery charges on Tuesday at his high-profile corruption trial.

Mr Tsang, 72, held the leadership post of chief executive for seven years from 2005 and is the highest-ranking Hong Kong official to face a corruption trial.

Wearing his customary suit and bow-tie, a somber-looking Mr Tsang arrived with his wife at the city's High Court over an hour before the hearing was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

He pleaded "not guilty" to three charges of misconduct and bribery. </s> Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for misconduct.

Tsang led Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012 and is the most senior official in the territory ever to stand trial for corruption.

He was found guilty last week of misconduct in public office, in a case related to a luxury flat in China.

In sentencing, Judge Andrew Chan said: "Never in my judicial career have I seen a man fall from so high."

A number of senior former officials in Hong Kong had written letters to the court in defence of Tsang's character.

Tsang was cleared last week of a second count of misconduct, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of accepting an advantage.

After sentencing, Tsang was taken from court in handcuffs to the hospital where he has been staying since experiencing chest pain on Monday.

The case has worried a territory that prides itself on its relatively clean reputation.

The trial related to events which took place near the end of his term, between 2010 and 2012.

Prosecutors accused Mr Tsang of inappropriate and undeclared conflicts of interest, including renting a luxury flat in mainland China from the shareholder of a broadcast company whose licence applications he approved. They also alleged the flat was redecorated free of charge and that he later nominated the interior designer for an honour.

The jury found him guilty of misconduct over his failure to disclose the lease of the flat, but dismissed the charge related to the designer and did not reach a verdict on whether he accepted a bribe in the form of the refurbishment.

A career civil servant, Tsang rose through the ranks to become Hong Kong's second chief executive, following Tung Chee-hwa.

His deputy, former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui, was jailed for accepting bribes from a property tycoon in 2014. </s> HONG KONG: Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was on Wednesday (Feb 22) sentenced to 20 months in prison after a high-profile corruption trial found him guilty of misconduct during his time at the helm of the city.

Tsang, 72, held the leadership post of chief executive for seven years from 2005 and is the most senior city official ever to be convicted in a criminal trial.

The sentence brings to an ignominious end what had been a long and stellar career for Tsang in the Asian financial hub before and after the 1997 handover to Chinese rule, and reaffirmed what some observers said was Hong Kong's strong rule of law in bringing even the most powerful to justice.

Tsang, famous for his bow ties, was escorted in handcuffs to the court from hospital where he had been staying since Monday night after experiencing breathing difficulties and chest pains.

Scores of establishment Hong Kong figures including top former officials had wrote letters vouching for Tsang's good character and longstanding public service over four decades in a bid for mitigation ahead of sentencing.

The nine-person jury had earlier found Tsang guilty of a charge of misconduct in public office. He had deliberately concealed private rental negotiations with property tycoon Bill Wong Cho-bau while his cabinet discussed and approved a digital broadcasting licence for a now defunct radio company, Wave Media, in which Wong was a major shareholder.

Tsang was acquitted of a second misconduct charge.

His conviction adds to a number of scandals ensnaring powerful officials that have marred the former British colony's reputation as a relatively corruption-free society.

Tsang's legal woes looked set to continue, however, with the court saying a retrial would be tentatively set for September for another bribery charge for which jurors failed to return a majority verdict.
Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang is sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, becoming the highest officeholder in Hong Kong's history to be convicted.