DAB Demands Judge-led Inquiry Into MTR Scandal

Hong Kong's biggest political party, the pro-Beijing DAB, said on Friday that it will be writing to Chief Executive Carrie Lam to ask for a judge-led investigation into corner-cutting during a construction project at Hung Hom MTR Station.

Some members of the pro-democracy camp have also called on the CE to appoint a Commission of Inquiry, to look into how steel bars were cut short to hide the fact that they hadn't been fitted properly on a platform for the future Shatin-Central link.

The DAB said that it was unhappy with the answers provided so far by the MTR Corporation, with few details of the scandal being offered at times, and conflicting versions of events at others.

Legco's House Committee on Friday afternoon voted down a proposal by Civic Passion's Cheng Chung-tai to use Legco's Powers and Privileges Ordinance to probe the saga, prompting accusations from pan-dems that the pro-Beijing camp was trying to protect the railway operator.

But earlier in the day, DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said a judge-led investigation would be better.

"This kind of investigation is very effective and also can come up with a very thoughtful proposal and suggestion plan for the government on how to have a better management for the future operations of this kind of big project," Quat said.

"We think that the Legco P&P is not really effective in handling this investigation."

Cheng said he would try to table the same motion on using the Powers and Privileges Ordinance at a full council meeting next month. Such a motion would need the support of both the functional and geographical constituencies to pass.

The MTR Corporation is expected to provide the government with a report on the flawed construction towards the end of next week. Transport Secretary Frank Chan said on Wednesday that the railway operator must be given the time it needs to find out the details of what exactly had happened.

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