Ex-Hong Kong official took secret payments from tycoons, trial told

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According to a Reuters report, prosecutors in Hong Kong's largest corruption trial opened their case Thursday (5 June 2014) with what they described as "concealed and disguised" payments by Thomas and Raymond Kwok, billionaire owners of Asia's largest property developer, to co-accused Rafael Hui, Hong Kong's chief secretary from 2005 to 2007. Prosecutors alleged that the Kwok brothers made payments and loans totaling more than US$4.77 million to Hui in return for government favor. The three men have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Read the story by James Pomfret and Yimou Lee, Reuters.

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