Legco Can Write Off Ousted Lawmakers' Money: Govt

Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung said on Tuesday that wages and allowances paid to four disqualified pro-democracy legislators could be written off, if Legco officials fail in their attempts to recoup the money.

Nathan Law, Leung Kwok-hung, Lau Siu-lai and Edward Yiu are each facing bills ranging from HK$2.7 million to HK$3.1 million – money the Legislative Council Commission says the four were not entitled to receive.

Cheung said the commission still has to try its best to recover the money, but the government has informed the body of its options should those efforts prove futile.

"We've replied already and explained the situation, particularly the responsibilities of the Legco secretary himself, under the Public Finance Ordinance. And also pointed out in case, after their best endeavours, the Legco Secretariat cannot recoup all or part of the expenses paid, then what are the options available in terms of a write-off," Cheung said.

"We've explained the situation to them, and it's up to the committee in Legco, of course, to decide how to do it", he added.

Law, Leung, Lau and Yiu were stripped of their seats by the High Court in July last year for failing to take their oaths properly, with the disqualifications back-dated to the day of the initial Legislative Council swearing-in ceremony in October 2016. Leung and Lau are appealing against the court ruling.

The four have complained that they had served the public for nine months before they were ousted and should therefore not have to pay back the money they were given.

The Legco Commission is taking legal action against two other disqualified lawmakers, Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung, to try to claw back almost HK$2 million in salary advances and expenses, even though the pair were never actually sworn in.