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Donald Tsang
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Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and his wife Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei as they leave the Eastern Court in Sai Wan Ho. Photo: Sam Tsang

From city leader to defendant in the dock: a timeline of the Donald Tsang case

A look back at the significant events leading up to Tsang’s trial

Donald Tsang

1967

Donald Tsang starts his career as a civil servant

2005

Tsang becomes Hong Kong’s chief executive, and is appointed again to the position in 2007

2010

February: Tsang starts negotiating with Bill Wong Cho-bau, a major shareholder of Wave Media, over a penthouse apartment in Shenzhen where he plans to retire

Invitation for digital audio broadcasting licence begins, which will eventually attract Wave Media, Phoenix U Radio, and Metro Broadcasting Corporation to apply

July 9: Public consultation on digital audio broadcasting licence begins

July 16: Tsang’s wife Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei deposits HK$350,000 in cash into her Bank of East Asia account, only 35 minutes after Wave Media shareholder David Li Kwok-po withdrew HK$350,000 in cash from the same branch. The prosecution said Li gave the money to Tsang to help pay for the Shenzhen penthouse

November 5: Executive Council approves in principle Wave Media’s digital broadcasting license and orders its application to surrender its analogue licence to be considered, two of the applications Tsang is accused of granting without disclosing his tie with Wong

November 17: A payment of 800,000 yuan is successfully made from Tsang’s wife’s account to East Pacific Holdings, the developers of the Shenzhen apartment. The prosecution suggested the payment could have been Tsang buying the property for less than the market rate

November 30: Wave Media changes its name to Digital Broadcasting Corporation (DBC)

2011

February 18: Interior designer Barrie Ho Chow-lai meets Mrs Tsang at Government House, the first of 14 meetings

February 22: Ho signs a contact, agreeing to refurbish the Shenzhen property, after being introduced to the job by Wave Media shareholder Albert Cheng King-hon

February and March 2011: Tsang asks his permanent secretary to suggest Ho for an honour under the city’s awards and honours system.

March 24: Commercial and Economic Development Bureau informs DBC it does not forfeit its HK$2 million performance bonds as a result of it surrendering its analogue licence

May 23: Tsang approves Ho’s nomination for a medal of honour, but doesn’t reveal his personal link to Ho

October 29: Tsang awards Ho medal of honour at a Government House ceremony. While testifying at trial later, Ho claimed they never discussed the Shenzhen property at the event

2012

January 18: Ho and Mrs Tsang visit the Shenzhen property with a feng shui master, their 14th and final meeting

January 21: Executive Council approves a decision in favour of DBC, allowing former Executive Council member Arthur Li Kwok-cheung to exercise control over the company

February 20: Media reports reveal Tsang attended a banquet in Macau, kicking off a flurry of reporting into his alleged collusion with businessmen

February 21: The tenancy agreement for the Shenzhen property is signed. The receipt for the 800,000 yuan also has this date

February 26: Tsang goes on radio programme Beautiful Sunday and reveals for the first time his plans to live in the Shenzhen property

February 29: Anti-graft watchdog the Independent Commission Against Corruption launches an investigation into Tsang’s actions

June 30: Tsang finishes his term as chief executive

2015

October 5: Tsang charged with two counts of misconduct in public office, becoming the most senior public official in Hong Kong to be arrested

A statement released by the senior personal assistant to former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang. Photo: SCMP Pictures

2016

August 8: DBC announces it will give up its digital broadcasting licence and close down.

September 9: DBC officially goes off air.

2017

January: Tsang’s trial on two charges of misconduct in office and one charge of accepting a bribe begins

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