FORMER Hong Kong Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison yesterday after being convicted of corruption in a blockbuster trial that shocked Hong Kong.

    He has been ordered to repay the government HK$11.18 million (US$1.43 million).

    On Friday, he was found guilty by a High Court jury of accepting HK$8.5 million in bribes from former Sun Hung Kai Properties co-chairman, Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong, in return for the former official to be “favorably disposed” to the developer.

    Kwok, who was found guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, was sentenced to five years in prison and fined HK$500,000. His brother Raymond Kwok Ping-luen was cleared of all charges.

    Hui, 66, who headed Hong Kong’s civil service from 2005 to 2007, was found guilty of three counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct. He had faced eight charges related to bribery and misconduct in public office, all of which he denied.

    The corruption trial Friday highlighted lavish spending by Hui, a racehorse owner and opera fanatic who enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle. He admitted to spending HK$200,000 on vinyl records in a single day in 2007 and traveled internationally to indulge his passions.

    Prosecutors accused him of spending “vast sums” on costly organic bran and carrots for his thoroughbred horse.

    Hui, who has been married since 1974, also said he had lavished millions on a young Shanghai woman after they started a relationship in 2008. In November last year, Hui was declared bankrupt.

    (SD-Agencies)Hui Si-yan