Public needs answers on alleged corruption at Kowloon flats site
The structural integrity of major housing projects is paramount to public safety and confidence in construction standards. Revelations of defects are thankfully rare in Hong Kong. When they arise they warrant full public scrutiny and accountability.
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A case in point is a bribery scandal at a CK Asset Holdings' residential project at Kwun Tong uncovered by the city's graft-buster.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) alleges site supervisors accepted offers, including red packets and meals and entertainment, from a subcontractor seeking lenient oversight of subpar construction practices, in an attempt to maximise profits.
Suspected offences range from bribery and accepting bribes, to conspiracy to defraud and using false documents. The scale of the alleged graft seems shocking, as does an apparent lack of oversight.
Investigations revealed that steel reinforcement bars in concrete in all six buildings were either thinner than required, missing, displaced or loosely arranged.
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Buildings Department inspectors also found that the number of main reinforcement bars in the structural components was, on average, 10 per cent below specifications, with deviations including spacing, thickness and positioning.
But department officials said the overall structural integrity of the six buildings containing nearly 3,000 flats, including 1,000 starter homes, did not present an immediate danger, as the surrounding concrete wall design could compensate for the load-bearing requirements.
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