Anson Chan speaks to Damon Pang
Former chief secretary Anson Chan has questioned why it took the government over three years to press misconduct charges against her long-time colleague, former chief executive Donald Tsang.
“Look at the way the government has handled this whole saga. Why has it taken so long?” she questioned, adding that she is “not surprised that some people may feel that all this is politically inspired.”
However, she said she would not speculate on whether Beijing played any role in the decision to prosecute Tsang.
Chan, who worked alongside Tsang as the top civil servant while he was financial secretary during the Tung Chee-hwa administration, also expressed concerns about the possible effect of the case on the public sector.
Speaking to RTHK's Damon Pang, Chan said “plus everything else that has happened in Hong Kong in recent years, morale within the civil service is already at a very low ebb. And this current episode certainly will not boost morale.”
She also praised her former colleague, saying she hopes the case will not “overshadow the very significant achievements he made to the governance of Hong Kong.”
Chan said no one should be put through the mental anguish Tsang and his family have been through for the past three and a half years, with the threat of criminal charges hanging over their heads. She also said she hopes for an expeditious conclusion to the proceedings, saying she is confident the court will deal with the case fairly and impartially.
Donald Tsang was charged on Monday with two counts of misconduct in public office. He’s accused of failing to declare negotiations to rent a luxury penthouse in Shenzhen owned by a major investor of a local radio station that had been applying for a broadcasting licence. He’s also accused of wrongdoing in putting the flat’s interior designer up for a prestigious award.
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Last updated: 2015-10-06 HKT 14:30
“Look at the way the government has handled this whole saga. Why has it taken so long?” she questioned, adding that she is “not surprised that some people may feel that all this is politically inspired.”
However, she said she would not speculate on whether Beijing played any role in the decision to prosecute Tsang.
Chan, who worked alongside Tsang as the top civil servant while he was financial secretary during the Tung Chee-hwa administration, also expressed concerns about the possible effect of the case on the public sector.
Speaking to RTHK's Damon Pang, Chan said “plus everything else that has happened in Hong Kong in recent years, morale within the civil service is already at a very low ebb. And this current episode certainly will not boost morale.”
She also praised her former colleague, saying she hopes the case will not “overshadow the very significant achievements he made to the governance of Hong Kong.”
Chan said no one should be put through the mental anguish Tsang and his family have been through for the past three and a half years, with the threat of criminal charges hanging over their heads. She also said she hopes for an expeditious conclusion to the proceedings, saying she is confident the court will deal with the case fairly and impartially.
Donald Tsang was charged on Monday with two counts of misconduct in public office. He’s accused of failing to declare negotiations to rent a luxury penthouse in Shenzhen owned by a major investor of a local radio station that had been applying for a broadcasting licence. He’s also accused of wrongdoing in putting the flat’s interior designer up for a prestigious award.
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Last updated: 2015-10-06 HKT 14:30
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1215657-20151006.htm
