Patrick Ho Asks For Bail Again With US$4m Offer

Former Hong Kong Home Affairs Secretary Patrick Ho, who is detained in New York over an international bribery case, has applied for bail for a third time.

In papers submitted to the court on Tuesday, Ho increased the bail amount by offering two flats from his family in Hong Kong worth US$4 million.

His lawyer also asked the authorities to drop six of eight charges against him.

Ho had earlier been refused bail because a New York judge said he is a flight risk.

Ho is charged in Manhattan federal court with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international money laundering and conspiracy. He denied the charges in January.

The allegations include offering bribes to senior officials from Chad and Uganda, allegedly for a Shanghai-based energy firm Ho represented.

The trial is temporarily set for November this year.