Johannes Chan's appointment never discussed with HKU chief, says Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung
HKU head confirmed meeting with Leung Chun-ying, but both insist they never touched on the controversial pro-vice-chancellor post
The head of the embattled University of Hong Kong yesterday confirmed he met Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying earlier, but the pair say they "never discussed" a controversial appointment involving liberal scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun.
The pair's remarks left questions unanswered over allegations of government interference in the university's operations, a staff representative and an alumni leader who support Chan said.
Leung's office declined to respond to inquiries by the about the timing and details of meetings with HKU vice-chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson and heads of other universities.
Leung's comments came a day after the reported that the two met at least once before the HKU governing council rejected former law dean Chan's candidacy for the post of pro-vice-chancellor.
"Professor Mathieson has never discussed with me the appointment of the pro-vice-chancellor," Leung said, adding that he never interfered in the selection process.
There were "legitimate purposes", Leung added, for university management to meet him, the chancellor, on a variety of subjects such as collaboration with overseas institutions.
READ MORE: CY Leung tight-lipped on moves to tighten anti-bribery laws amid prosecution of predecessor Donald Tsang
Meanwhile, an HKU statement said both Mathieson and council chairman Leong Che-hung wished to avoid misunderstandings and make it clear that the appointment issue was "never discussed in meetings with Leung".
The council's move late last month to reject Chan, a prodemocracy scholar close to colleague and Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting, is seen by critics as politically motivated.
While the reported that Leung sought meetings with Mathieson between August and September, Leung picked on the report's headline and introduction that said they met "in weeks" leading up to the council's rejection of Chan.
"The report is not specific at all … It used the plural "weeks". Is it two weeks, 20 weeks or 50 weeks?" Leung asked.
HKU Academic Staff Association chairman Dr William Cheung Sing-wai said Leung's remarks left many questions unanswered.
"We want to know what they talked about, but Leung is playing sophistry," Cheung said.
Ip Kin-yuen, who leads an alumni concern group, noted Mathieson's statement confirmed there were meetings, and Leung should fill in the blanks if he said the report was not specific.
But Christopher Chung Shu-kun, a pro-establishment lawmaker on the HKU court, said: "There is no evidence of interference. The accusations are unnecessary."