Ex-housing chief shocked officials didn't consider Hung Hom deal
Former buildings and housing chief Leung Chin-man expressed shock early today that the government had not considered his role in the controversial sale of a Hung Hom housing estate when approving his application to take up post-retirement work.
Mr Leung, who began work last week as executive director and vice-chairman of New World China Land, announced he had quit the position.
The estate, built for sale to the public but never occupied, was sold in 2004 to a consortium including NWS Holdings, a subsidiary of New World Development, for barely half the asking price. New World China Land is a New World Development subsidiary.
In a statement, Mr Leung said he would not take legal action against the government over the impact of its 'inappropriate handling' of his case.
He also pledged to stay away from the property industry.
The comments were his first on his job with New World China Land since it appointed him on August 1.
'I am deeply shocked by the fact that they omitted the important fact I was involved in the Hunghom Peninsula [deal]. So what the chief executive is doing now is correct and it shows the government is willing to face the problems,' he said.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen yesterday ordered the civil service chief to re-examine the decision to approve Mr Leung's job.
Mr Leung reiterated that he had done nothing wrong in the estate sale. He said it was the result of a collective effort by various departments and he had not had discretion to decide the land premium payable.
He said he had struggled over whether to accept the offer from New World chief Henry Cheng Kar-shun of a job with its mainland property arm two years after he retired from government. He said he had doubts because his involvement in housing affairs for years and in particular the Hunghom Peninsula project.
'But I never favoured New World over the land premium issue. Since I am clean, why should I fear?' he said.
He praised Secretary for the Civil Service Denise Yue Chung-yee for having the courage to admit her faults in the handling of his case.
