Opposition ramps up bid to impeach Hong Kong leader for intervening in fee probe
Political storm takes new twist after pro-establishment lawmaker quits panel investigating HK$50 million payment to chief executive
Opposition lawmakers are ramping up a bid to impeach Hong Kong’s leader, less than two months before he steps down, for intervening in a probe into his past business dealings, along with the pro-establishment lawmaker who helped him.
The decision came hours after Holden Chow Ho-ding quit the Legislative Council select committee set up to investigate Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying for a possible conflict of interest over failing to declare the HK$50 million he received from Australian engineering firm UGL.
Chow insisted he did nothing wrong by allowing Leung to get involved behind the scenes as lawmakers were deciding on the scope of the investigation.
With pan-democratic lawmakers clamouring for his resignation, Chow said he was quitting the panel in the hope of calming the political storm.
Controversy erupted on Monday after a document from Chow, which was submitted to the select committee on April 26, was found to contain changes that were traced to the user names “CEO-CE” – meaning the chief executive.