Editing Patrick Ho

{{Short description|Hong Kong ophthalmologist and politician}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{family name hatnote|[[He (surname)|Ho (何)]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Patrick Ho
| native_name         = {{nobold|何志平}}
| native_name_lang    = zh-hk
| honorific-suffix    = {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|size=100%|GBS|JP}}
| image               = Patrick Ho.jpg
| image_size          = 
| nationality         = [[Chinese nationality law|Chinese]] ([[Right of abode in Hong Kong|HK]])
| order               = [[Secretary for Home Affairs]]
| term_start          = 1 July 2002
| term_end            = 30 June 2007
| 1blankname          = Chief executive
| 1namedata           = [[Tung Chee-hwa]] <br /> Sir [[Donald Tsang]]
| predecessor         = [[Lam Woon-kwong]]
| successor           = [[Tsang Tak-sing]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1949|7|24|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]
| alma_mater          = [[Vanderbilt University]]
| spouse              = [[Sibelle Hu|Sibelle Hu Huizhong]] (m. 1997)
| children            = 1
}}
{{Chinese
| title = Ho Chi-ping (Patrick)
| t = 何志平
| sl = Ho<sup>4</sup> Ji<sup>3</sup> Ping<sup>4</sup>
| p = Hé Zhìpíng
| j = ho4 zi3 ping4
| y = hòh ji pìhng
}}
'''Patrick Ho Chi-ping''' {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|GBS|JP}} (born 24 July 1949 in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong [[ophthalmologist]] turned politician.

He joined the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] and the [[Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region|Preparatory Committee of Hong Kong SAR]].<ref name=thestandard20020621>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=17854&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20020621&sear_year=2002|title= Tung delays naming new team|work= [[The Standard (Hong Kong)|The Standard]]|date=21 June 2002}}</ref> When the [[Principal Officials Accountability System]] was introduced in 2002, [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong]] [[Tung Chee-wah]] appointed Ho [[Secretary for Home Affairs]], a senior ministerial post.

He was convicted of bribery offences in a U.S. federal court in 2018. The Medical Council of Hong Kong ruled that his name was removed from the General Register for a period of 1 year from May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=張嘉敏|date=2021-05-11|title=何志平涉美國賄賂案罪成 醫委會裁定專業失德 釘牌12個月|url=https://www.hk01.com/社會新聞/623490/何志平涉美國賄賂案罪成-醫委會裁定專業失德-釘牌12個月|access-date=2021-05-11|website=香港01|language=zh-HK}}</ref>

== Education and ophthalmologist career ==
Ho studied in the [[Diocesan Boys' School]], Hong Kong. He won a scholarship and was educated in the US for 16 years. An [[ophthalmologist]] who trained in eye surgery with special expertise in retinal surgery, he was a fellow at Harvard Medical School. He returned to Hong Kong in 1984 and taught eye surgery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong as Professor of Ophthalmology. From 1988 to 2000, he was Professor of Surgery (Ophthalmology) at the [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]].<ref name=GCheung>{{cite news|newspaper=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2176612/musician-eye-surgeon-and-politician-who-married-actress|title=Musician, eye surgeon and a politician who married an actress, Patrick Ho led a varied, eventful life before bribery scandal|last=Cheung|first=Gary|date=6 December 2018|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>

==Political career==
Since 1993, he has been a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th National Committee of the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]], and in 1995, he was appointed as a member of the [[Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region|Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]] and the [[Selection Committee (Hong Kong)|Selection Committee]] of the first SAR Government. Ho was appointed vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute in 1996.<ref name=GCheung /> In July 1997, he was appointed to the [[Provisional Urban Council]] until its disestablishment in 1999. In 2000, Ho was appointed Chairman of the Arts Development Council.<ref name=GCheung />

In 2002, he joined the [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong]] [[Tung Chee-wah]]'s [[Second term of Tung Chee-hwa as Chief Executive of Hong Kong|second HKSAR administration]] as the [[Secretary for Home Affairs]] when the [[Principal Officials Accountability System]] was introduced.  He served in this senior ministerial post for five years.<ref name=scmp2120918>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2120918/former-hong-kong-home-secretary-patrick-hos-life-civil|title='Civil diplomat' Patrick Ho tapped UN connections to broker deals|work=South China Morning Post|date=21 November 2017}}</ref>

In 2003, Ho was present at the [[Che Kung Miu|Che Kung Temple]] in Sha Tin following tradition and drew [[Kau cim|''Kau Chim'']] sticks to foretell the fortune of Hong Kong. He drew number 83 which represented bad times ahead. Hong Kong experienced a fatal [[2002–2004 SARS outbreak|SARS outbreak]] and an attempted imposition of [[Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23|Basic Law Article 23]], which led to massive protests at the [[Hong Kong 1 July marches#2003|1 July march]]. Ever since, no Hong Kong minister has represented the government to the temple.<ref name=GCheung />

Ho was appointed chairman of the Sports Council in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/485447/ho-takes-charge-supreme-body|title=Ho Takes Charge of Supreme Body|date=14 January 2005|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>

After leaving the government in 2007, he joined a lobbying firm established and funded by [[CEFC China Energy]] (CEFC), a Shanghai-based energy company,<ref name=scmp2120918/> of which he became vice-chairman and secretary-general.  The organisation, under Ho, was a leading exponent of the [[Xi Jinping]]'s [[Belt and Road Initiative|Belt & Road Initiative]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=China Daily|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2017-05/12/content_29312900.htm|title=China's worldwide infrastructure investment promotes globalization 2.0|date=12 May 2017|last=Zhuan|first=Ti|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>

== Bribery and money laundering arrest and conviction ==
Ho and former [[Foreign Minister of Senegal|Senegalese foreign minister]] [[Cheikh Tidiane Gadio|Cheikh Gadio]] were arrested in New York in late November 2017, charged with violating the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]] (FCPA) and money laundering. The pair offered a US$2&nbsp;million bribe to former [[President of Chad|Chad President]] [[Idriss Déby]] for oil rights, and deposited a US$500,000 bribe to an account designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda on behalf of [[CEFC China Energy|CEFC]]. The million-dollar bribes were disguised as donations.<ref name=scmp2120784>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2120784/us-arrests-former-hong-kong-home-secretary-patrick-ho|title=US arrests Patrick Ho over alleged oil bribes|work=South China Morning Post|date=21 November 2017}}</ref> The energy fund, chaired by [[Ye Jianming]], denied authorising Ho to engage in corrupt practices.<ref name=HKFPexplainer>{{cite news|url=https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/11/21/explainer-patrick-hos-bribery-allegations-top-hong-kong-official-us-police-custody/|title=Explainer: Patrick Ho's bribery allegations – from top Hong Kong official to US police custody|newspaper=[[Hong Kong Free Press]]|date=21 November 2017|last=Cheng|first=Kris|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/file/1021931/download|title=Indictment Case 1:17-mj-08611-UA}}</ref>

James Biden, brother of [[Joe Biden]], got a call from Patrick Ho when Ho was arrested by the FBI. James Biden said he believed it had been meant for [[Hunter Biden]], the son of [[Joe Biden]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stevenson |first1=Alexandra |last2=Barboza |first2=David |last3=Goldstein |first3=Matthew |last4=Mozur |first4=Paul |title=A Chinese Tycoon Sought Power and Influence. Washington Responded |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/business/cefc-biden-china-washington-ye-jianming.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=11 December 2020 |date=12 December 2018}}</ref>

On 5 December 2018, Ho was convicted on seven counts of bribery and money laundering, following a federal trial in which Gadio stood as a witness for prosecutors.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/business/cefc-china-patrick-ho.html|newspaper=New York Times|title=Ex-Hong Kong Official Convicted in Bribe Case Involving Chinese Oil Company|date=5 December 2018}}</ref><ref name=LumKazaryan>{{cite web|author=Lum, Alvin|author2=Emma Kazryan|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2176601/patrick-ho-convicted-us-court-7-8-counts-bribery-and|title=Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping convicted in US court on 7 of 8 counts in bribery and money-laundering case|work=South China Morning Post|date=2018-12-06|accessdate=2018-12-07}}</ref>  He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and fined $400,000 in March 2019.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Hong Kong Free Press|url=https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/03/26/breaking-3-years-prison-us400k-fine-ex-hong-kong-official-patrick-ho-guilty-bribery/|title=3-years prison and US$400k fine for ex-Hong Kong official Patrick Ho, guilty of bribery|last1=Cheng|first1=Kris|last2=Grundy|first2=Tom|date=26 March 2019|access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref>
After being imprisoned at the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]], as of 9 June 2020, the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' reported that Ho has been released and deported to Hong Kong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|title = Inmate Locator}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-09|title=Disgraced former minister Patrick Ho returns to city after jail release|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3088264/disgraced-former-hong-kong-minister-patrick-ho-returns|access-date=2020-06-09|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref>

== Subsequent legal matters ==
In 2023, Ho was identified in a US federal criminal indictment of [[Gal Luft]] in a Chinese government attempt to influence the [[2016 United States elections]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Aaron |first=Blake |date=July 15, 2023 |title=Indictment paints tale of Chinese interests and 2016 Trump campaign |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/15/indictment-paints-tale-chinese-interests-2016-trump-campaign/ |access-date=July 18, 2023}}</ref>

==Family==
Ho has a daughter and a son from his marriage to a Chinese woman in the US. After returning to Hong Kong in 1984, he divorced his wife.<ref name=GCheung />

Ho married [[Taiwan]]ese actress [[Sibelle Hu|Sibelle Hu Huizhong]] on 5 September 1997. They have a daughter, Audrey Ho Ka Chun, born in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Straits Times|date=20 September 1997|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/issue/straitstimes19970910-1|title=Taiwanese Actress Weds Hong Kong Surgeon|page=20}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Hong Kong Government Lunar New year kau cim tradition]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Lam Woon-kwong]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Secretary for Home Affairs]]|years = 2002–2007}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Tsang Tak-sing]]}}
{{s-prec}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Shelley Lee]]<br /><small>''Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star''</small>}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Hong Kong order of precedence]]<br /><small>''Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star''</small>}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Sarah Liao]]<br /><small>''Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star''</small>}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ho, Patrick}}
[[Category:Government officials of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Chinese University of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Hong Kong ophthalmologists]]
[[Category:Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]]
[[Category:Chinese ophthalmologists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]]
[[Category:Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Hong Kong politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:20th-century Chinese physicians]]
[[Category:Hong Kong government officials convicted of corruption]]
[[Category:People's Republic of China politicians from Hong Kong]]
[[Category:People educated at Diocesan Boys' School]]