Hong Kong  - A personal physician to former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa was facing a possible jail term for misusing almost 500,000 US dollars of university medical donations.

Professor Lam Shiu-kum, 66, who has treated Tung for 10 years and is a world authority on gastroenterology, was convicted Tuesday of misconduct in public office from 2003 to 2007.

He is to be sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to diverting almost 500,000 US dollars in donations to the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty to his own company.

A reference letter from Tung, Hong Kong's chief executive from 1997 to 2005, was handed to the court praising Lam, who was dean of the university's medical faculty at the time of the offence.

Defence lawyer Gary Plowman told the court Lam's pioneering research into peptic ulcers and gastric cancers over four decades had saved millions of lives.

Lam, who claims he used the money partly to entertain faculty guests and potential donors, was released on bail. The offence carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. (dpa)