NEW YORK – A Hong Kong businessman charged in a United Nations-linked bribery conspiracy has pleaded not guilty.
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Dr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho said “not guilty, judge” on Monday to each of eight counts he faces in Manhattan federal court.
Prosecutors say the 68-year-old former Hong Kong government official and another businessman arranged bribes to the president of Chad and the Ugandan foreign minister to secure business advantages for a Chinese energy conglomerate.
Ho once was Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary and remains jailed without bail pending a scheduled court appearance on Feb. 2.
His lawyers indicated in a court filing Friday they would ask Judge Katherine Forrest to release him on $10 million bail. But there was no mention of his bail request at Monday’s hearing. One of his lawyers declined to comment afterward.
