Editorial | Dark chapter in Hong Kong’s history finally closed
- The lessons to be learned from Rafael Hui’s jailing and other high-profile cases can help ensure that nothing similar ever again stains the city’s conduct of its own affairs at the highest level
With Hui’s release a dark chapter in the city’s history is finally closed. The lessons to be learned from it can help ensure that nothing like it ever again stains the city’s conduct of its own affairs at the highest level under “one country, two systems”.
Hui was sentenced with Kwok and two middlemen for accepting nearly HK$20 million in total for looking out for SHKP’s interests. Hui, granted early release for good behaviour, and Kwok have paid their debts to society. But the case should never be forgotten for having underlined a defining principle of Hong Kong’s legal system – that everyone is treated equally before the law, including the rich and powerful.
The rejection of their appeals was seen to uphold the principle. At the heart of the appeal was a payment of HK$8.5 million by Kwok to Hui, via two middlemen who have since served lesser jail terms, before Hui became chief secretary in 2005. Prosecutors failed to identify any act by Hui in return for the money. But the court said he took the cash in return for his “favourable disposition” towards Sun Hung Kai while in office and that such a bargain was corrupt.
