Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho apologised, was ‘impressed’ by Chadian president’s rejection of US$2 million cash gift: bribery trial witness
- President Idriss Deby felt insulted and disrespected after finding money in boxes from defendant and CEFC China Energy representatives
- Former Senegalese official Cheikh Gadio revealed details of incident to authorities soon after his arrest last November
Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping apologised and said he was “impressed” by Chadian leader Idriss Deby’s rejection of his alleged US$2 million cash gift, a key prosecution witness told a New York court on the third day of Ho’s corruption trial.
The president had felt insulted and disrespected by the alleged bribe, former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Gadio said in his second day of testimony.
Gadio, 62, had told authorities about Ho’s cash offer soon after he was arrested last November, a court document uploaded on Tuesday US time revealed. He is serving as a witness for the US government under a non-prosecution agreement.
In December 2014, Ho and several high-profile members of Shanghai-based private conglomerate CEFC China Energy made their second official visit to Chad to discuss the possible purchase of the country’s largest oil refinery, called Block H. Ho was the secretary general of a think tank funded by the energy giant, while Gadio was the head of Sarata International, a consulting firm that facilitated the meetings.
About eight large boxes were given to Deby at the end of the meeting. Later that day, Gadio was asked to return to the leader’s official residence, where the session had been held. When he arrived, he saw the president looking upset and offended.
“Who do they think I am? Who do they think they are?” Gadio quoted Deby’s reaction after finding money in the boxes. “Why do they believe all African people are corrupt?”