A bad week for ...

Mak Chai-kwong

The development minister in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's cabinet was accused of abusing a civil service housing allowance by 'cross-leasing' properties with a colleague in 1986. The claims were seen as a potential fresh embarrassment for Leung after he and several of his ministers and advisers apologised over illegal structures at their homes.

Regina Tong Ching-yee

Leung Chun-ying's wife was overlooked for the post of president of the Red Cross. Her two predecessors as the wives of Hong Kong's chief executives, Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei and Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping, both served as president of the organisation. Tong was by-passed in favour of retired judge Ti-liang Yang, who has been the city's Red Cross chairman for 14 years.

Nicolas Sarkozy

The former French president had to endure the indignity of a police search at his home and offices as part of an inquiry into suspected illegal financing of his successful 2007 election campaign. Magistrates are investigating claims that staff for Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L'Oreal cosmetics empire and France's richest woman, gave envelopes stuffed with cash to Sarkozy lieutenants.