Hong Kong’s ‘Mr and Mrs Ho’ marriage, gifts and assets spark probe into public flat status
- Investigation launched amid crackdown on cheats who lie about wealth to qualify for public housing and suspicions over assets of ‘Mr and Mrs Ho’
The couple, a 76-year-old Hong Kong man and a 43-year-old divorcee from across the border who wed about a month after meeting, attracted the attention of authorities after family bickering over the relationship and their financial affairs hit the headlines.
Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, the director of housing, on Friday said it would be “inappropriate” not to look into the high-profile pair’s finances on suspicion of surpassing the assets threshold for a public flat and potential ownership of property in mainland China.
“Whenever we have been tipped off on the matter, we have written to authorities on the mainland who are very cooperative,” Law told a radio programme.
“So far, nine government flats have been repossessed because we have established that their assets exceeded the limit, with the help of intelligence from the mainland.”
The couple have appeared on Hong Kong prime-time television and flaunted some of the luxury gifts Mr Ho gave Mrs Ho, including a Rolex watch and diamond ring said to have had cost a total of more than HK$200,000 (US$25,612).