Jury in high-profile Rafael Hui corruption trial to start deliberations from December 15

The jury in the highest-profile corruption trial in Hong Kong's post-colonial history - involving allegations against a former government No 2 and two property tycoons - will begin deliberations on December 15 at the earliest.

As lawyers for both the prosecution and the five defendants completed their closing submissions, presiding judge Mr Justice Andrew Macrae yesterday told the High Court jury he would start summing up on December 8.

"All that remains is for me to sum up the salient features of the evidence, and to give you directions on the laws which apply in this case," Macrae told the nine jurors, who have been sitting since June. "I shall reserve some concluding remarks or directions until December 15 ... And shortly after that, I shall be sending you out to decide your verdict."

Former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan is accused of taking HK$28.8 million from Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong and Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, now Sun Hung Kai Properties co-chairmen, in return for being the property empire's "eyes and ears" in government. SHKP executive director Thomas Chan Kui-yuen and former stock exchange official Francis Kwan Hung-sang are accused of acting as their middlemen for part of the sum.

Hui also allegedly failed to disclose HK$5.4 million worth of unsecured loans from a subsidiary of SHKP and the free use of two luxury Leighton Hill flats.

Yesterday, Macrae reminded the jury - the second impanelled after the collapse of the first in May - that they should refrain from online research into details of the case during their two-week break. He also said media reports about the case should be ignored.