It's the kind of scenario you'd expect from The Godfather, but not in Hong Kong, a seven-million-strong metropolis known for pampering real estate moguls while claiming to have one of Asia's most transparent governments. اعلانات
However, that image has been tarnished. A family rivalry dating back to 2008 at one of Asia's wealthiest families is alleged to be the cause of multiple bribery arrests in the previous ten days.
Raymond and Thomas Kwok, joint chairmen of Sun Hung Kai Properties, one of Asia's largest commercial real estate developers, and two of Hong Kong's wealthiest individuals, were arrested. While the investigation is ongoing, the Kwoks will continue to serve as joint chairmen and managing directors of the company.
Thomas Chan is the executive director of Sun Hung Kai and has worked for the company for 25 years. Chan was arrested on March 22, according to the World Property Channel.
Rafael Hui, the former head secretary of the public service, the local government's second-highest office. Hui resigned as an independent director of AIA, the Asian branch of the New York-based American International Group, following his detention.
Two senior executives of a Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed company who have yet to be identified.
At around the same time as the arrest announcements, the city's top official, Donald Tsang, issued a public apologies for what seemed to be conflict of interest involvements. He admitted to attending a Macau casino banquet as an invited guest and taking vacations on friends' yachts and private airplanes.
Nobody knows how or if the arrests and the apology are connected yet. Officials from the government and the corporation say they will comment after the preliminary investigation is concluded.
The removal of a third Kwok brother, Walter, 60, as chairman of Sun Kung Kai in 2008 may have precipitated the corruption claims against the two other Kwoks last week. So far, no details about the family feud have been revealed.
Walter's mother, Kwong Siu-hing, whose late husband launched the company in 1972, acted as chairwoman for a brief time after Walter was eased out.
According to a regulatory filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, the arrests were related to an investigation into anti-bribery legislation infractions.
The commission had obtained a search warrant for the company's offices, and it had "been asked to give some information with reference to the claims," according to the business.
Forbes magazine estimates the Kwok brothers' family fortune to be worth $18.3 billion. They were placed No. 27 on Forbes' list of the world's billionaires in March.