HK Govt Conned Over 'Japanese' Face Masks

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2021-01-25 HKT 17:05

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  The Government Logistics Department found that contrary to the supplier's claim, some of the masks it purchased were not manufactured in Japan. Photo: RTHK

The government on Monday filed a writ at the High Court claiming it had been duped into paying tens of millions of dollars for Japanese face masks that turned out not to be Japanese after all.

The writ says the Government Logistics Department purchased around 32 million face masks – that were claimed to have been made in Japan – from Global Party Limited in March last year.

However, authorities later decided they'd been conned after finding out that not all of the masks had actually been manufactured in Japan.

The case was later handed over to the Customs Department for follow-up action.

Officials subsequently cancelled all four purchase contracts with the company, and on Monday sought redress from the company.

The government wants Global Party as well as its director, Lau Kwan-ming, to pay back around HK$100 million in contract payments and to hand over compensation for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation.