'Legco Doesn't Have Time For MTR Probe'

Pro-government lawmaker Tony Tse has opposed a call for a probe by lawmakers into the Hung Hom MTR Station scandal, saying Legco doesn't have enough time to conduct a comprehensive investigation as there is only a year or so left of the current term.

Tse, who represents the architectural, surveying, planning and landscape sector, said given this, a Legco probe may not necessarily be efficient.

He was speaking as the council debated a motion moved by Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan, calling for a probe into the dodgy construction scandal that has plagued the station which forms part of the upcoming Shatin-Central Link. A government-appointed Commission of Inquiry is already looking into the scandal.

Other pro-government lawmakers also said it was better to leave the matter to the government-appointed inquiry.

Supporting the call for a Legco probe, IT sector lawmaker Charles Mok said Legco was duty bound to get to the bottom of the matter.

Meanwhile Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien said he would miss the vote on the motion as he was attending a conference on the Greater Bay Area being held in the city.

The pro-government lawmaker had earlier said that he would back the motion.