Govt Announces Probe Into MTR's Construction Saga

The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, on Tuesday announced that the government was setting up a panel to investigate sub-par works at Hung Hom Station on the Shatin-to-Central rail link.

Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said the move is necessary because the matter involves public safety.

More details on the scope of the investigation, and the committee's composition are needed before it can officially be approved by the Executive Council.

She said the committee will be led by the former court of final appeal judge, Justice Michael Hartmann.

"We will consult the Executive Council on the matters as soon as possible. At this stage, we believe that the commission should examine the cause and assess the extent of the problems," she said.

"The commission should also, having regard to the problems, review the work supervision system of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation as well as the mechanism under which the government monitors and controls such works,” Lam said.

Steel bars securing a platform to the walls at Hung Hom Station were cut short, in an apparent bid to hide the fact that they had not been screwed in properly.

MTR bosses have been accused of changing their story over the safety scare and of trying to cover up the problem.

Concerns were also raised on Monday over the safety of construction work at a second station on the Shatin-Central link, with fears that a 30 metre-long wall at the future To Kwa Wan MTR Station has not been reinforced properly.