Lai See | MTR linked to company involved in CY Leung payments row

With the dust swirling around Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's involvement with Australian engineering and property services firm UGL, it is worth noting the company's other links with Hong Kong.

UGL, according to its website, has since 2002 had a contract with MTR Corp to maintain a fleet of 120 passenger cars which service the Kwun Tong line. At the same time, MTR also provides consultancy services to UGL.

Raymond Chien Kuo-fung, the chairman of MTR, according to UGL's 2014 annual report, has been an independent director since 2012. You would have thought that given his position with the MTR and the MTR's involvement with UGL, this would have raised questions about his independence.

UGL speaks fulsomely on its website of its relationship with the MTR. "In Australia, UGL, MTR Corp and John Holland are joint-venture partners in Metro Trains Melbourne." This contract began in 2009 and will continue for eight years with the option of an extension for seven more years.

The MTR provides specialist consultancy services to the UGL subsidiary managing the maintenance and logistics for 1,050 RailCorp passenger cars. It would appear that UGL will not be at a loss for contacts in Hong Kong when it comes to rolling over its contracts with the MTR.