中国华信及乍得政府否认涉嫌行贿200万美元

The government of Chad and CEFC China Energy have both denied involvement in bribes that US authorities Allege were offered to Chad’s president through Patrick Ho Chi-ping, former home secretary of Hong Kong and head of a non-governmental organisation funded by the Chinese energy conglomerate.

乍得政府和中国华信能源有限公司（CEFC China Energy，简称：华信）均否认参与美国当局所谓的通过何志平(Patrick Ho Chi-ping)向乍得总统提供贿赂的腐败图谋。何志平曾任香港民政事务局局长，现担任香港中华能源基金会(CEFC Hong Kong Non-Governmental Fund Committee)负责人，该基金会是由华信出资成立的一家非政府组织。

Mr Ho and former Senegal foreign minister Cheikh Gadio were arrested and charged in the US this week with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international money laundering and conspiracy to commit both.

何志平和前塞内加尔外长谢赫?加迪奥(Cheikh Gadio)上周在美国被捕，本周被控违反美国《反海外腐败法》(Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)、从事国际洗钱、且合谋犯下这两项罪行。

A statement from US authorities released late on Tuesday described two schemes, the first of which allegedly saw Mr Gadio assist Mr Ho in causing a Chinese energy conglomerate to offer a $2m bribe — characterised as a “donation” for charitable causes — to Idriss Déby, the president of Chad.

美国当局于周二晚些时候公布的一项声明中提到了两起图谋，在第一起图谋中，据称加迪奥协助何志平促成这家能源集团以慈善事业“捐赠”的名目向乍得总统伊德里斯?德比(Idriss Déby)行贿200万美元。

“Faced with this umpteenth false allegation, the government of Chad formally refutes this shameful fabrication,” the government of Chad said in a statement cited by AFP, adding that it “rebels against the attitude of the US government and certain agencies that would tarnish the image of Chad and its president”.

法新社(AFP)援引乍得政府的一份声明表示：“乍得政府无数次面对这种诬告，已正式驳斥了这一可耻谎言。”并表示乍得政府“反对美国政府和某些机构的态度，这将玷污乍得及乍得总统的形象。”

Although CEFC China was not named in the statement, a complaint released alongside it quotes directly from the company’s website, stating the energy conglomerate in question is a Shanghai-based “private collective enterprise with energy and financial services as its core business”. In addition, the complaint’s description of Mr Ho’s leadership role at an unnamed Hong Kong NGO funded by CEFC China also matches exactly his position at the Hong Kong-based China Energy Fund Committee, which is fully funded by CEFC China.

尽管美国当局声明中并未提及华信，但随声明发布的诉状直接引用了该公司网站上的文字称，它提到的这家能源企业是一家总部位于上海的“集体制民营企业，主营能源与金融”。诉状还提到何志平在华信资助的一家不具名的香港非政府组织担任负责人，而这一身份也恰恰吻合了他在香港中华能源基金会的职位，该基金会由华信全资设立。

CEFC China said in an official statement responding to Mr Ho’s arrest that as “a non-governmental and non-profit organization, [China Energy Fund Committee] is not involved in any of the commercial activities of CEFC China, and has no commercial authorization relationship whatsoever with the company.”

华信针对何志平被捕事件发布官方声明表示：“基金会作为非政府、非营利组织，不参与中国华信的商业性活动，与本公司没有商业性委托授权关系。”

The energy conglomerate also said the NGO’s aims were to “promote international energy research, conduct public diplomacy, and facilitate global energy cooperation and cultural exchange”. CEFC China added that it “conducts its business activities in strict accordance with the law, and it operates under sound business management.”

该能源集团还表示，这家非政府组织的目标是“推动国际能源问题研究，开展民间公共外交，促进全球能源合作和文化交流。”并表示该公司“依法经营，规范管理。”