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Hey Hunter,


Maybe you have already see them, but just in case...plz see below for a
couple of news clips I think you might want to check out:


*Southern China Morning Post (SCMP): *


Highly respected major newspaper by the financial community in Hong Kong
and international business with operations in Hong Kong. SCMP is like Hong
Kong’s local version of New York Times + Wall Street Journal.


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*#1. SCMP: "Patrick Ho may be a pawn in the great game of nations"*


http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2121162/patrick-ho-may-be-pawn-great-game-nations


"Ho may yet be proved innocent. But his arrest will inevitably be lumped
with the jailing of two of his former bosses, former chief secretary Rafael
Hui Si-yan and former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, both for
misconduct in public office."


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*#2. SCMP: "Expect more US corruption probles involving firms with links to
China, legal experts say: Arrest of Patrick Ho could be a sign regulators
are ‘becoming more aggressive in investigating China’ ” *


http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2121319/expect-more-us-corruption-probes-involving-firms-links


He said Ho’s arrest could be a signal that US regulators were “becoming
more aggressive in investigating China”. More companies with Chinese ties
could be ensnared in corruption investigations in the United States as
Washington becomes more familiar with business practices in China, legal
experts said.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission punished 26 companies for
violating the act last year, 13 of them with a China connection, according
to the SEC website. One of those was pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca,
which agreed to pay more than US$5 million to settle charges that it
breached provisions in the act after its subsidiaries in China and Russia
were found to have made improper payments in cash and gifts to health care
providers so that they would purchase its products. The payments were not
accurately reflected in the company’s books and records.

US President Donald Trump has described the act as a “horrible law” that
put US businesses abroad “at a huge disadvantage”, but legal experts did
not expect any let-up in enforcement.

“[With more and more Chinese outbound investment] Chinese firms will become
a focus for anti-corruption law enforcement globally,” Chen Litong, a
senior partner with Dentons in Shanghai, said.

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*#3. SCMP: Chinese company denies bribery charge led arrest of Patrick Ho
in the U. S. *


http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2120966/chinese-company-denies-bribery-charge-led-arrest-patrick-ho


"In an international corruption scheme that spanned the globe, [Ho and
Gadio] allegedly conspired to bribe African government officials on behalf
of a Chinese energy conglomerate,” acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim
said in a statement."


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*4. SCMP: “Patrick Ho arrested in US”*


http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2120784/us-arrests-former-hong-kong-home-secretary-patrick-ho


"The charges were based on their use of the US banking system to process
almost a million dollars in payoffs, sent under the guise of donations."


"Their bribes and corrupt acts hurt our economy and undermine confidence in
the free marketplace,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth
Blanco [accusing Ho in violation of] the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and
money laundering."


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*5. SCMP: Chinese company risk legal minefield with ‘poor awareness of
offshore bribery laws’*


http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2120952/chinese-companies-risk-legal-minefield-poor-awareness

“It maybe culturally acceptable but it’s not legal anywhere in the world,
but what constitutes a bribe is the question,” he said. “Foreigners can
easily fall into legal traps and it’s a universal problem, because the laws
are not the same and the policies vary from country to country.”


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*HKFP: Patrick Ho’s Arrest Explained*


https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/11/21/explainer-patrick-hos-bribery-allegations-top-hong-kong-official-us-police-custody/


“The arrest by US authorities of one of Hong Kong’s top former officials,
Patrick Ho, could become the highest-profile corruption case involving
China’s One Belt One Road development initiative.”


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*SCMP: On Who is Patrick Ho *


http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2120918/former-hong-kong-home-secretary-patrick-hos-life-civil


"Till today, [Ho] is remembered by Hongkongers for picking a fortune stick
with the number 83
<http://www.scmp.com/article/441903/home-affairs-chief-avoids-chance-draw-more-bad-luck>,
deemed to be one of the worst possible omens, in an annual Chinese New Year
ritual in 2003. Hong Kong grappled with Sars and street protests that year."


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Other news clip links


http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2121217/hong-kong-ex-minister-patrick-ho-staying-strong-he-prepares


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/china-energy-cefc.htm