Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing has telephoned church officials
after a Catholic priest called him a "devil", but the tycoon was told to
treat the remark as a joke, a report said Wednesday.
Father
Thomas Law made the controversial comments at a Halloween party two
weeks ago, saying the city's property developers -- not spirits -- are
the real demons, just weeks after the tycoon pledged to give millions to
the poor.
Li telephoned Vicar-General Michael Yeung -- the second
most senior official in Hong Kong's Catholic church -- to discuss the
controversy and was told to put the matter behind him, the South China
Morning Post reported.
"Father Yeung explained to Mr Li that
Father Law made the comments in an unofficial manner which did not
represent the diocese's position," an unnamed church official was quoted
as saying.
"The comments were only meant as a joke," the source added.
Local
media have suggested that Li might want to sue over the "devil" remark
but a spokeswoman from his Cheung Kong (Holdings) conglomerate told AFP
last week that there were no such plans.
The priest made the
remarks in connection with growing criticism that property companies are
fudging the size of residential apartment units in the densely
populated city of seven million people.
Last month Li pledged to
donate 500 million Hong Kong dollars (64 million US dollars) to a
government fund established to help the poor amid concern over a growing
income gap.
SIC: AFP/INT'L