‘Long Hair’ Leung Kwok-hung charged over alleged HK$250,000 payment from media tycoon Jimmy Lai
League of Social Democrats lawmaker faces one count of misconduct in public office
High-profile lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung will appear in court on Friday morning following his arrest by graft-busters over an undeclared HK$250,000 payment from media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.
Independent Commission Against Corruption investigators arrested the League of Social Democrats legislator at his home on Thursday – four years after the money changed hands.
Leung, 60, was later charged with one count of misconduct in public office and released on bail.
In a statement on Thursday, the ICAC accused Leung of misconduct for “failing to declare or disclose” a HK$250,000 payment he received from Lai through Mark Simon on May 22, 2012. The charge also accuses Leung of “concealing” the acceptance of the money from the Legislative Council.
The timing is sensitive, less than a month before the nomination period for September’s Legco elections starts on July 16.
Leung said it was obvious he was facing political persecution for his radical activism and anti-establishment platform.