Ex-official Patrick Ho has doctor’s licence suspended

Former home affairs chief Patrick Ho has had his doctor’s licence suspended for a year by the Medical Council in light of his bribery convictions in the US in 2018.

Following a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, which Ho and his lawyers did not attend, the medical watchdog ruled that the ophthalmologist had committed two counts of professional misconduct.

It also issued Ho a warning letter, saying he had failed to notify the council about his convictions in a timely manner.

The regulator said it decided on the penalty after taking into account his past contributions to society.

Ho was appointed as home affairs secretary by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa in 2002.

In March 2019, he was sentenced by a US federal court to three years in jail for bribery and money laundering in a case involving oil rights for CEFC China Energy in Chad and Uganda.

Ho completed his jail term last year and was deported from the US, returning to the SAR.