Ex-official Got Permission For Academy Job: Govt

Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip on Monday dismissed claims of a conflict of interest involving the appointment of a former senior aviation official as the new head of the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy.

Simon Li retired as director-general of the Civil Aviation Department in April last year, and was appointed as the academy’s CEO in June this year.

Nip conceded that Li had represented the government during talks over the establishment of the academy, and that he was at the time an ex-officio member of the Airport Authority.

But Nip said Li sought and was granted approval for the new job in accordance with due procedures for directorate-grade officers, and authorities had considered the appointment carefully after consulting relevant bureaus and an independent panel.

Nip also stressed that Li's appointment was "not the usual case of leaving the government to work for a private company”, as his job involves the nurturing of talent and helps consolidate the SAR's status as an international aviation hub.