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August 1st, 2012:

ah yes, Yuen Long District Council You can always trust a District Councillor

Mr TSANG Shu-woDescription: TSANG Shu-wo
Capacity: Ex officio member
Constituency:
Occupation: Merchant
Political Affiliation:
District Council Services: Member, Yuen Long District Council
Member, District Facilities Management Committee
Member, Environmental Improvement Committee
Member, Town Planning and Development Committee
Address: 2/F, No. 139-147 On Ning Road, Yuen Long
Tel. No.: 2475 5778
Fax No.: 3548 9424
E-mail Address: tsangshuwo2011@yahoo.com.hk
Mr TANG Lai-tungDescription: TANG Lai-tung
Capacity: Ex officio member
Constituency:
Occupation: Merchant
Political Affiliation:
District Council Services: Member, Yuen Long District Council
Member, Town Planning and Development Committee
Address: Ha Tsuen Rural Committee, No. 1, Tin Ha Road, Yuen Long
Tel. No.: 2447 8118
Fax No.: 2447 2238
E-mail Address: tanglaitung@gmail.com
Anti-triad sting nets C.Y. quartet
‘Shanghai Boy’, ‘Little Boy’ and rural leaders who had dinner with campaign aides among 130 arrested
Simpson Cheung and Tanna Chong
Aug 04, 2012

At least four people who attended a dinner that left the chief executive’s election campaign embroiled inrumours of triad links are among 130 arrested in an anti-triad crackdown.

The meeting in February between rural leaders and Leung Chun-ying’s campaign aides became an election issue due to the presence of controversial businessman Kwok Wing-hung, known as “Shanghai Boy”.

Kwok and fellow diner “Little Boy” Cheung Chuen-hon are understood to have been arrested, as were rural leaders Tsang Shu-wo and Tang Lai-tung, who are campaigning for Chan Keung in the Legco elections.

Police launched a two-day operation on Wednesday, targeting crimes including the laundering of HK$300 million. Some 200 police officers raided 21 locations, arrested 130 people and seized HK$8 million in crime proceeds, including HK$3.4 million in local and foreign currencies, 11 watches and two cars.

The officers were from the organised crime and triad bureau (OCTB), the narcotics bureau and the New Territories North region.

Anti-triad operations on such a scale are rare in the New Territories.

The raids were part of a joint operation with Macau and Guangdong police against the triad groups Wo ShingWo and 14K, both active in Yuen Long district. Prominent office bearers are believed to be among those arrested.

Police denied the operation had anything to do with the elections, although some rural politicians believe there could be indirect links. OCTB Superintendent Lau Shu-sing said police started their investigation late last year, and intelligence showed that HK$300 million was being laundered by the two sophisticated, mid-sized gangs over the past two years.

“There is intelligence suggesting that a group of triads used their own accounts and accounts of their wives and mistresses to launder a large amount of money,” Lau said.

Chief Superintendent Kwok Ho-fai said police were investigating whether the money laundering involved any property investments.

“The triad personalities obtain their profits from illegal activities such as [running] gambling dens and then investing the money to buy expensive items, creating an illusion that they get the profits from lawful means,” Kwok said.

Some 110 people were arrested in four gambling dens. Police said the dens were making HK$100,000 a day for the two gangs.

The 84 men and 46 women, aged 30 to 69, were detained on suspicion of money laundering, running illegal gambling and vice dens, and selling illicit fuel. Some of those arrested remained in police custody.

The operation was still under way and police did not rule out more arrests. However, Kwok denied media reports that rural leader Leung Fuk-yuen was among those arrested. Nor was Leung asked to help with police inquiries, Kwok said.

Leung said he was taking legal advice over the reports.

Meanwhile, Yuen Long police are investigating an unrelated complaint from Leung Che-cheung, who is running in New Territories West in the Legislative Council elections next month. Leung, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, thought there could be indirect links to the elections.

The candidates running for the New Territories West constituency include Kwok Ka-ki, Chan Han-pan, Tam Yiu-chung, Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Mak Ip-sing, Michael Tien Puk-sun, Leung Yiu-chung, Lee Wing-tat, Josephine Chan Shu-ying, Albert Chan Wai-yip, Lee Cheuk-yan, Tsang Kin-shing, Chan Yut-wah and JuniusHo Kwan-yiu.

Mr LEUNG Che-cheung, BBS, MH, JPDescription: LEUNG Che-cheung
Capacity: Elected member
Constituency: Tin Yiu
Occupation: Full-time District Council Member
Political Affiliation: Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
District Council Services: Chairman of Yuen Long District Council
Member, District Facilities Management Committee
Member, Culture, Recreation, Community Service and Housing Committee
Member, Environmental Improvement Committee
Member, Finance Committee
Member, Town Planning and Development Committee
Member, Traffic and Transports Committee
Address: No. 2, Wing A, G/F, Yiu Lung House, Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai,Yuen Long
Tel. No.: 2442 1366 /  2616 0523 /  2616 0524 /  9016 8088
Fax No.: 2443 9466
E-mail Address: tinshuiw@netvigator.com

Action needed

Clear the Air says:

In the interests of clarity and prevention of money laundering, drugs’ proceeds and other illegal actions Hong Kong needs a minimum of two things to happen here:

–        We need a Fictitious Names Index http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/corporations/12457/x_ficticious_names/571874

to stop people hiding behind local or overseas front companies, including Government ministers and their wives.http://www.coordinatedlegal.com/fbn.html

–        We need laws to force Political Parties to reveal their funding sources so the public can see who is pulling their strings and make them more transparent in their policies and actions. At present North Korea, prostitution, munitions, landmines manufacturers  or Big Tobacco  could be funding our political parties and the public is none the wiser.

Minister dragged deeper into row
More evidence indicates wife of development chief may have been involved in subdividing flats, but she refuses to reveal ownership details of her company
Olga Wong, Joyce Ng and Thomas Chan
Aug 04, 2012

The wife of development chief Paul Chan Mo-po refused yesterday to disclose the ownership details of her company, which is under fire for owning unauthorised subdivided flats – even as more land records pointed to her possible role in subleasing the apartments.

Frieda Hui Po-ming, replying to the South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583announcementsnews) last night, said she could not name the shareholders of two offshore firms that own Harvest Charm Development, which she co-owns. Harvest has two flats in Tai Kok Tsui and Jordan: one is subdivided into five units, the other three.

“I am sorry that I cannot disclose the identity of other shareholders against their will,” Hui said.

Her husband, who took over as secretary for development on Monday, finally broke his silence and faced the media over the controversy, in which his wife is accused of having knowledge of the partitioning.

Chan said he was never a shareholder of the company and that he quit as a director in 1997, three years after the company bought the two flats. Hui resigned as director of Harvest when the new administration took office on July 1.

A Stock Exchange filing by Chan in 2003 described Hui as the sole owner of Orient Express Holdings, the major shareholder of Harvest. The other offshore firm is said to be Strategic Assets Holdings, ownership of which is unclear.

Hui – contrary to her previous statement that the firm was a family business – said in a statement that she was not a controlling shareholder, although nominally she was.

“I am a corporate secretary with a business providing agent service … The two offshore companies are only registered shareholders of Harvest Charm and do not actually hold all its shares. Most of the shares are held in the capacity of an agent.”

More evidence surfaced that Hui may have known about the flats’ subdivision. Her signature appears on an agreement with the Lands Department in 2009, which settled the outstanding land rent for the Jordan flat – showing she was involved in overseeing the property.

This emerged a day after the flat’s principal tenant said a director of the company, Au Cheung-shing, was aware of the subleasing.

When Chan was asked about company ownership and Hui’s relationship with Au, he passed the buck. “I will pass the questions to my wife and let her answer,” he said, adding that he was ignorant about Harvest’s daily operations. Au, meanwhile, could not be reached yesterday.

In her reply to the Post as to why she chose to quit as a director in July even though she claimed not to be involved in the company’s day-to-day operations, Hui said her resignation hinged on personal reasons: her 90-year-old mother in Canada is frail and her daughter has started studying at university in the United States.

“I will be travelling more often to North America in the coming year. I think it is responsible to resign from the directorship,” she said.

While Hui plans to sell her shares in the company, the couple’s explanations failed to address calls for full disclosure.

Political scientist Dixon Sing Ming said failure to do so would fuel public mistrust in the government.

Analyst Ivan Choy Chi-keung described Chan and Hui as “cunning”, saying: “It seems to me the couple are trying to avoid a grilling.”