‘I’m not responsible for mainland China-made material’, says plumber in Hong Kong lead in water scare
A plumber at the centre of a lead-contaminated water scare at a Hong Kong public housing estate where pre-cast units imported from mainland China were installed said he could not be held responsible for material made outside the city’s borders.
A plumber at the centre of a lead-contaminated water scare at a Hong Kong public housing estate where pre-cast units imported from mainland China were installed today said he could not be held responsible for material made outside the city’s borders.
Being pushed in a wheelchair, Lam Tak-sum, the licensed plumber the government says is answerable for the scare at the two-year-old Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon City, met officials from departments including Water Supplies at Immigration Tower in Wan Chai today.
“The government should make clear who is responsible for what,” he said before meetings this afternoon. “My responsibilities only lie within Hong Kong’s borders. I cannot sign for things that happen outside Hong Kong and I can’t be held responsible for [the pre-made units].”
“I can’t say I have no responsibility in this issue,” he added. “And we haven’t talked about which part of the issue I should bear [responsibility for] and which part I don’t.”
Lam said he would consult his lawyer before deciding his next step. “If the government didn’t investigate the issue properly, then it’s their problem,” he added.