香港長官「自宅に現金の山」　米制裁で口座が使えない生活告白

【香港ＡＦＰ＝時事】香港政府トップの林鄭月娥（キャリー・ラム）行政長官は、中国が香港国家安全維持法（国安法）を施行したことを受けて米国の制裁措置の対象となり、銀行口座が使えなくなったため、自宅に「現金を山積み」にして日々の支払いに対応していることをテレビ番組で明らかにした。（写真は香港の林鄭月娥行政長官）
　林鄭長官は香港の英語テレビチャンネル（ＨＫＩＢＣ）で２７日夜に放映されたインタビューで、「あなたの向かいに座っているのは、銀行サービスが利用できなくなった香港特別行政区行政官だ」と自己紹介し、制裁を科されて以降、「日々のあらゆる支払いを現金で行っている」と発言。「自宅には現金の山がある。政府からの給与は現金で受け取っている」と語った。
　林鄭氏は、米政府から「不当な制裁を受けた」のはとても名誉なことだと同番組で主張している。
　林鄭氏は年収５２１万香港ドル（約７０００万円）で、世界の指導者の中で最も高給取りの一人。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/11/30-13:34）

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said she has piles of cash at home as she has no bank account after the United States slapped sanctions on her in response to a draconian security law China imposed on the city.
Lam was targeted, along with 14 other senior city officials, in the toughest US action on Hong Kong since Beijing imposed the new law on the territory in late June.
The move by Washington freezes the American assets of the 15 officials and criminalises any financial transactions in the United States.
In an interview with local English TV channel HKIBC aired on Friday night, Lam said she was using cash every day for all the things after being sanctioned.
Sitting in front of you is a chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) who has no banking service made available to her, Lam told HKIBC.
I have piles of cash at home, the government is paying me cash for my salary, she added.
Lam added that it was very honourable to be unjustifiably sanctioned by the US government and does not want to deter anyone from serving in public office.
Earning HK$5.21 million (US$672,000) a year, Lam is one of the highest paid leaders in the world.
Her remarks sparked a public backlash, with social media users posting photos of coins in their piggy banks at home to contrast with Lam's wealth.
Others questioned how her large salary would be transported to her residence in cash.
Lam had told media in August that she faced a little bit of inconvenience from the sanctions which hampered her use of credit cards.