Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs seen entering government headquarters after week-plus leave amid conflict-of-interest allegations
ELIZABETH CHEUNG AND GARY CHEUNG
UPDATED : Monday, 18 April, 2016, 12:56pm
Fung leaving her residence in Happy Valley earlier this month. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A top civil servant who has been involved in a conflict-of-interest controversy resumed work on Monday after taking leave for more than a week.
Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee was seen entering government headquarters at Tamar in her sedan this morning.
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Bureauconfirmed that Fung had resumed work today.
Fung had been on sick leave since April 8, when she was also seen leaving home carrying luggage without wearing her wedding ring.
Her duties were undertaken by Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs Laurie Lo Chi-hong during the leave.
Fung temporarily left her duties after she was reported to be involved in conflict-of-interest allegations relating to the exchange of a Mid-Levels property for two Happy Valley flats belonging to Macau businessman Cheyenne Chan in late 2013.
Fung Ching (front row, centre) attending a special meeting in Legco shortly before the leave. Photo: Felix Wong
The Independent Commission Against Corruptionhad earlier decided to look into the allegations against Fung.
The controversy also involved Fung’s husband, Wilson Fung Wing-yip, who reportedly owned a Maserati car that was previously owned by Chan, with its ownership between them changing in 2009.
Wilson Fung, executive director of the Hong Kong Airport Authority, later stated on Facebook that he had kept his wife in the dark about his dealings with Chan.
Chan, a sister-in-law of Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho, is the owner of the company Wiseson, which exchanged the two Happy Valley flats for Betty Fung’s One Robinson Place property.
Chan is also a shareholder of another company, Sky Shuttle, a commercial helicopter operator.
Wilson Fung was a civil servant in charge of aviation affairs from 2003 to 2006.
Betty Fung at first denied any wrongdoing, saying she did not know Chan was the owner of Wiseson. But it was reported two weeks ago Wilson Fung knew Chan and had previously signed property transaction documents on behalf of Wiseson.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1936830/back-grind-senior-hong-kong-civil-servant-flat-swap
