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Hong Kong files 259 charges over fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court repairs
Authorities allege defective, non-fire-retardant materials were used and repair work was not properly supervised after the Wang Fuk Court blaze.
Hong Kong’s Buildings Department has filed 259 charges against two companies and four individuals over major renovation works at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, after an investigation found the materials used did not meet fire-safety requirements and that safety obligations were not met, according to SCMP Economy.
The department said the charges include alleged permitting or authorising the use of building materials that are defective or do not comply with the Buildings Ordinance, along with failures to properly supervise repair works.
The two companies charged are project consulting firm Will Power Architects and main contractor Prestige Construction & Engineering. The individuals include Will Power director Wong Hap-yin and registered inspector Ng Yeuk, plus Prestige directors Ho Kin-yip and Hau Wa-kin.
SCMP Economy also reports that in June, police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption charged the firms, the four individuals and three others with offenses including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion. Separately, Hong Kong’s Labour Department laid 25 charges on Wednesday against related parties under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance in connection with the deaths of five contractors’ staff during the fire.