Hong Kong authorities will hold three logistics department officers accountable over their roles in a bottled water procurement scandal, with the former director, set to have his Silver Bauhinia Star revoked, cleared of direct oversight.
Civil service chief Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said a probe into the scandal involving the HK$166 million bottled water procurement contract last year found that two logistics department staff members would face disciplinary hearing.
She said staff failed to perform their duties and lacked the awareness, judgment and analytical ability to identify issues and report them to their superiors in time, adding that such shortcomings were widespread in the department.
Director of Logistics Carlson Chan Ka-shun, who is on retirement leave, is believed to be the highest-ranking civil servant among the quartet, although Yeung declined to name them, citing privacy concerns.
He was chosen to receive a Silver Bauhinia Star award from the government but his name was pulled out from the awardees’ list at the presentation ceremony in November.
