MTR Points Finger For Works Scandal At One Firm

An MTR boss on Thursday singled out a subcontractor, Fang Sheung Construction, as being the likely culprit behind a building works scandal and safety scare at Hung Hom Station.

The railway operator's projects director, Philco Wong, said on an RTHK programme that workers from the firm are suspected of cutting short steel bars securing a newly built platform to the walls, to hide the fact that the bars weren't fitted correctly.

Wong said MTR site managers had noticed suspicious practices at the station.

"When they got there, they saw some workers from Fang Sheung working. Of course they did not see them actually cutting the steel bars. But they saw the bits that were already cut off placed to one side. And at the time, there were only Fang Sheung workers there. So according to their understanding, it was them who did it."

Wong said it appeared to the MTR staff that the bars were cut simply for convenience and the workers were immediately asked to replace them.

But the same problem was uncovered on four other occasions, the corporation concedes.

Speaking on another radio programme, MTR chief executive Lincoln Leong said that according to reports from management staff at the construction site, it is believed that there were fewer than 30 problematic steel bars.

This assertion comes despite reports that workers concreted over bars that had been cut short.

The chairman of the MTR Corporation Fred Ma said on Wednesday take legal action will be brought against anyone found to have broken the law. He said more details on the scandal will be provided in a report to the government towards the end of next week.