The ex-chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Jim Thompson, denied on Friday that he had provided free wine storage at his Crown Wine Cellars for Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.

"We have never stored one bottle for one day for the Chief Executive of Hong Kong ever. He is not a member of our wine club and he never asked us to store any wine, whether he paid for it or didn't pay for it, he never asked us to do that," stressed Thompson.

Thompson's remarks came after a local Chinese-language newspaper charged that Tsang had been involved in a conflict of interest by having free storage of his wine collection at Thompson's wine cellar.

The spokesman from the Chief Executive Office said on Friday night that it leased the land to Thompson's company at a market value. The contracted was renewed in 2010 also at the price of market value.

The newspaper alleged that the government offered Thompson a very low rate, when his company leased the Central Ordinance Munitions Depot at Shouson Hill, which was later renovated to become Crown Wine Cellars. The accusation marks a fourth round of attacks by media this week on the Chief Executive.

In response to the newspaper's report, the office on Thursday night issued a statement, saying Tsang has never stored wine at Crown Wine Cellars. The spokesman said the wine cited in the report was sold to Thompson in 2010 at a price of HK$2 million based on a professional evaluation.

The sale was made as Tsang was preparing to move out of the Government House at the end of his term. The proceeds from the sale were said to have been donated to different charity organizations, namely, the Red Cross, the Community Chest and the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care.

All three organizations confirmed donations equivalent to the selling price of Tsang's wine collection.

Louie Tong Hang-shing from the Community Chest said the charity had received a donation of HK$1 million, given by Selina Tsang Pau Siu-mei in May 2010. The other two organizations also confirmed to have received HK$500,000 each from Pau in the same month.

"I'm sad actually. Here is a man - he has given his career to the government of Hong Kong. And a newspaper made its false story and tried to make a bad thing out of it instead of doing a story about the gesture," said Thompson.

The landlord of the Shenzhen residence at which Tsang intends to make his retirement home, also dismissed an earlier accusation made by another newspaper that Tsang had rented the East Pacific Garden, a luxurious residence in Futian district, Shenzhen below market value.

Wong Cho-bau, chairman of the East Pacific Group, said the duplex was rented at about 1 million yuan per year, stressing the price is equivalent to market value. Wong also refuted allegations that the renovation costs on the unit were HK$14-million, as stated by Oriental Daily. The landlord put the renovations at 3 million yuan, similar to redecorating costs for other flats.

Lawmakers on Friday also agreed at a meeting to invite Tsang to the Legislative Council next Wednesday to give a full account of his private trips on board a private luxury jet and a yacht. Both trips triggered comment about possible conflicts of interest. The CE Office said the CE was considering whether to attend.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 02/25/2012 page1)