Former Hong Kong civil servant jailed for misconduct applies for bail ahead of appeal
- Wilson Fung is appealing a conviction and sentence relating to his failure to declare property dealings with a businesswoman, who was also his lover
- Judge adjourns the ex-economy official’s bail hearing to next month
A former Hong Kong official serving nine months in jail for misconduct in public office applied for bail on Thursday, arguing his sentence could be completed by the time his appeal was heard.
But Court of Appeal vice-president Wally Yeung Chun-kuen said he could not process Wilson Fung Wing-yip’s application without reading the testimonies of key witnesses who testified at the trial, which centred on property dealings involving his then-girlfriend.
The judge adjourned the hearing to November 8 and ordered the relevant staff to provide the transcripts he needed in two weeks.
Fung gave his wife, head of the Policy Innovation and Coordination Office Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, a thumbs-up before he left the dock to return to prison.
The court heard Wilson Fung, 56, could be released on February 20 at the earliest. He has lodged appeals against both his conviction and sentence.
But the court has yet to schedule a date for his appeal hearing and his lawyers are concerned that he might complete the jail term before that opportunity to clear his name.