The Chief Executive Office defended Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's visit to Macao over the weekend as a "private holiday", citing the chief executive couple was travelling alone for most of the time over the trips in Macao from Feb 17 to 19.

The spokesman said under the current Code for Officials under the Political Appointment System, there is no need for political appointees to announce when they receive treats such as accommodation or food on their private vacations.

Though the chief executive isn't subjected to the code, but he had followed the rules since always, said the spokesman.

The spokesman said Tsang has gone to Macao once this year and twice in 2011, in response to an accusation from a local Chinese newspaper that Tsang has been to Macao at least a dozen times over a year.

The newspaper also reported that Tsang ate a luxurious meal over his trip to Macao. His office said Tsang only had a simple breakfast on board the yacht.

The statement came after Oriental Daily, on Tuesday, published front page photos of Tsang in Macao, on board a luxurious yacht. Tsang was also seen dining with junket operators and high rollers at a spring gathering at the Li Ying Club. The club is a VIP club at City of Dreams, a luxurious casino-resort. The pictures published in Oriental Daily showed Tsang sitting at the same table as tycoon Thomas Lau Luen-hung and Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, chairman of Sing Tao News. The daily claimed there were many guests that night, including some heavyweights with dubious backgrounds.

The CE Office said Tsang and his wife Selina Tsang Pau Siu-Mei were on a private trip for tomb-sweeping in Macao. The couple paid their own bills on the way to Macao, they returned on board a private yacht, owned by friends, the statement continued.

Commenting on the three different yachts cited by the daily, the statement said Tsang was accommodated on a yacht belonging to another friend, different from the one he took on his return trip.

The government said Tsang had notified the Macao government and administration which arranged security for the CE as it usually does. Tsang had followed normal exit and entry procedures as always, the statement said.

Following the issuance of the statement, lawmakers petitioned the Legislative Council to raise questions about whether Tsang's appearance at the spring gathering of a casino-resort was appropriate. Legislators requested more details about the trip, including who paid the bills, how much were the bills and whether there was anyone with a gang-related background at the gathering. The proposal to bring forward the issue was rejected after 18 of 26 lawmakers in attendance, voted against it.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 02/22/2012 page1)