Faith, family and friends brought Donald Tsang comfort through his many trials
Even former political opponents came out to support Hong Kong’s 73-year-old former chief executive, whose fall from grace has taken a toll on his health.
When lawyers for Hong Kong’s erstwhile leader delivered their closing remarks at his bribery trial, they seemed to appeal to the emotions of the jury, and also to fate.
“I now place Mr Tsang in your hands,” barrister Selwyn Yu SC declared on October 27, in his final statement before taking his seat.
But for Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, 73, a devout Catholic, his moment of truth in the dock on Friday was probably defined more by doctrine than destiny.
“He told me he would leave it to God. He believes in his innocence,” said columnist Chip Tsao, recounting his conversation with Tsang weeks before the trial began in September.
Tsang avoided being convicted of accepting an advantage as the city’s chief executive as jurors were unable to return a verdict after 14 hours of deliberation.
Friday’s hung jury brought to a close Tsang’s second trial for accepting an advantage as the city’s chief executive, a position he held over two terms from 2005 to 2012.
Tsang faced misconduct charges after leaving office and was convicted on one count this February. He was cleared of a second count of misconduct in public office, but the verdict on a third count, accepting an advantage as the chief executive, was also left hanging by an indecisive jury, necessitating the second trial which began in September.