ICAC officers detain Mo Yuk-ping and 19 others connected to an HK-listed firm
The wife of Shanghai property tycoon Chau Ching-ngai was arrested by the ICAC yesterday together with 19 people, including her staff and a former bank officer, for suspected corruption related to bank loans and conspiracy to defraud, sources said.
Mo Yuk-ping, 41, chairwoman of Shanghai Merchants Holdings Limited, and other suspects were still being held for questioning at the headquarters of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in Central last night. So far, no charges have been laid against any of them.
The arrests follow reports that Mr Chau - known as the richest businessman in Shanghai and the chairman of another Hong Kong-listed company, Shanghai Land Holdings - is now in detention in Shanghai or Beijing.
Mr Chau is reportedly being investigated in connection with bank loans and a dispute over a property project in Shanghai.
Shanghai Land and Shanghai Merchants asked yesterday for their stock to be suspended from trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, pending clarification of media reports in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Shanghai Land Holdings also postponed its extraordinary general meeting scheduled for today.
The Hong Kong arrests follow raids by more than 100 ICAC officers across several locations during the past two days, including Ms Mo's Perkins Road residence on Jardine's Lookout and her office in Central.