Trial of former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho hears key witness Cheikh Gadio ‘went too far’ with talk of deals between Chinese companies and Senegal government
- Former Senegalese foreign minister says he regrets making claims about nation’s diplomatic recognition of Beijing in 2005
- Defendant turned witness gives third day of testimony in New York
Lawyers for a former Hong Kong minister facing bribery charges in a New York court on Thursday attacked a former top African diplomat – a key prosecution witness – for making unfounded claims that Chinese companies struck deals worth up to US$20 million with the head of his nation.
Cheikh Gadio, previously a defendant in the case against Patrick Ho Chi-ping, admitted he regretted making the claims, and that he “went too far”.
It was Gadio’s third day of testimony at New York Southern District Court, where Ho – Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary from 2002 to 2007 – faces eight counts of bribery and money laundering. Prosecutors allege Ho made the bribes to African leaders to bag oil rights for Shanghai-based energy firm CEFC China Energy, which he represented.
Gadio was Senegal’s foreign minister when it renewed diplomatic ties with Beijing in 2005, cutting them with Taiwan. At the time, the Taipei government accused Beijing of offering economic aid to lure African nations into switching ties. After retiring from public office, he became a consultant. He met Ho in New York in 2014.
He allegedly played a key role helping Ho to give “secret and confidential financial assistance” to Chad’s President Idriss Déby, in exchange for CEFC getting development rights to an oilfield in the country.
To convince Ho and CEFC to pay him as the middleman before any talks took place, Gadio wrote to Ho in October 2014, citing an earlier unhappy encounter dealing with Chinese companies. He said he was not paid for acting as mediator in the renewal of diplomatic ties in 2005.
