Court documents from a recent high-profile trial have stirred public interest.
The trial of Patrick Ho has unveiled controversial details about Hunter Biden’s business engagements with Chinese energy giant CEFC.
Patrick Ho, a Hong Kong national, has been the focal point of a trial that has illuminated the international business dealings of Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden. The trial in New York has brought to light Hunter Biden’s intricate financial relationships with CEFC Energy, a conglomerate based in China. Founded by Ye Jianming, CEFC has reportedly funneled millions of dollars to Hunter Biden and his family.
The court documents reveal that Zang Jianjun, the executive director of CEFC, was implicated in a bribery scheme aimed at African officials. Despite Zang's high-ranking position within CEFC and involvement in the schemes, he has not faced charges in the United States. The media outlet Just the News has extensively reported on Ho's bribery scheme in Africa and his attempts to circumvent sanctions on Iran.
Hunter Biden's financial gains from his connections with CEFC are substantial, as evidenced by the court documents. In one particular text, Hunter Biden refers to Zang, leveraging his father's political stature to advance his business prospects with the Chinese firm. The revelations include Hunter Biden being hired by CEFC for legal services and receiving a substantial payment of $1 million.
Witness Cheikh Gadio, a former Senegalese foreign minister, testified about the underhanded dealings of CEFC in Chad involving the country's president, Idriss Déby. Originally, President Déby rejected a bribe from CEFC, but it was later accepted under the guise of a charitable donation. Gadio's testimony included the details of a $2 million cash gift from CEFC to President Déby.
Dr. Ho told me several times that Mr. Zang was a key element in the CEFC, you know, power structure. He told me that he's running their Beijing office and he can be even considered like the No. 2 guy in the organization.
Cheikh Gadio relayed to the court how Patrick Ho informed him about Zang's significant involvement in CEFC's hierarchy and operations. By 2015, Zang had taken charge of the Chad deal from Ho, illustrating his central role in the company. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden's relationship with CEFC blossomed financially, with over $5 million flowing to him through various channels, including Hudson West III.
Hunter Biden's communications with CEFC officials depict a pressing demand for the company to honor its financial commitments to his family. In a message to Raymond Zhao, a CEFC representative, Hunter Biden expressed urgency in resolving financial issues:
I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. I am very concerned that the Chairman has either changed his mind and broken our deal without telling me or that he is unaware of the promises and assurances that have been made have not been kept. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand. And now means tonight.
During a pivotal time when CEFC was negotiating to purchase a share of Russian oil company Rosneft, Patrick Ho was arrested on money laundering and bribery charges in November 2017. Notably, the indictment did not include Zang or other CEFC officials who participated in the meeting regarding Chad.
The trial of Patrick Ho has cast a spotlight on the murky business interactions between Hunter Biden and CEFC.
