Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing yesterday came out in support of Antony Leung, saying the financial secretary had already paid a high price for what he had done.
Mr Li was commenting on Mr Leung failing to declare he had bought a luxury car ahead of announcing a vehicle tax increase in the Budget.
Although Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa thought Mr Leung's actions were negligent, he rejected the official's resignation.
Some lawmakers said Mr Leung should leave his job immediately to prevent a crisis of confidence in Mr Tung's administration.
Mr Li, chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings, said yesterday he had full confidence in Mr Leung's integrity. He did not think Mr Leung was a greedy person looking for small gains.
'He is an honest and reliable man. He has paid a high price for this incident. His integrity is not a question at all,' Mr Li said.
He also said Mr Leung wanted to serve Hong Kong people and the special administrative region government.