[NYP] A federal appeals court in New York has upheld the bribery conviction of the former chairman of a think tank funded by a Chinese energy company linked to Hunter Biden.The three-judge panel on Tuesday affirmed the December 2018 conviction of Patrick Ho Chi-ping, 70, a former Hong Kong government official, for violations involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for trying to bribe high-ranking officials in Chad and Uganda.
The bribes were made to secure oil rights and in pursuit of lucrative businesses deals on behalf of the Chinese energy behemoth CEFC, which funded a think tank that touted a "special consultative status" with the United Nations and an office in Manhattan.
Chi-ping was the principal director of the think tank.
Ye Jianming, who had ties to the Chinese military and intelligence services, was the chairman of CEFC until he disappeared after being taken into custody by Chinese authorities in early 2018.
Documents obtained by The Post show Hunter Biden, the son of President-elect Joe Biden, reached a deal with Ye for half-ownership of a holding company that was expected to provide him with more than $10 million a year for making "introductions."