Transport chief Anthony Cheung vows to quit if panel finds him liable in rail saga
Transport chief not afraid to bear responsibility for mishandling of construction project, but lawmaker says MTR management is to blame
The transport minister says he will resign immediately if he is found to be at fault for delays to the construction of the high-speed cross-border railway.
Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung was speaking yesterday as lawmakers discussed the matter. He said a government-appointed expert panel would look at the monitoring role he and his bureau played in the HK$67 billion project, which has been delayed two years to 2017.
"If the panel find in their observations that I have any specific responsibility as the minister for the delay, I will resign immediately," Cheung said.
The Legislative Council's railways subcommittee yesterday voted down motions calling for Legco powers to be invoked to investigate the delay and for the public to be allowed to read information that the MTR will release to lawmakers under a confidentiality agreement.
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced last week that an expert panel chaired by Mr Justice Michael Hartmann would look into the MTR and the government's roles in the project.
It was revealed earlier that Cheung had tendered his resignation to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying after the delay came to light last month but that Leung had rejected it.