AFTER months of stiff resistance to legislators' demands, the Government made an about-turn and revealed that the former chief executive of the Provisional Airport Authority (PAA), Mr Richard Allen, had been paid more than $5.5 million as a golden handshake.
The Financial Secretary, Mr Hamish Macleod, told the Legislative Council yesterday that the decision to reveal the figure had been prompted by the requirement for companies to disclose compensation payments to directors and shareholders.
''And where the company is a public company, that in effect means disclosure to the public,'' said Mr Macleod, who is also chairman of the PAA.
His statement was a Government backdown to earlier arguments that Mr Allen's payments could not be disclosed because his contract was a matter between an employer and an employee.
Liberal legislators had threatened to use the Powers and Privileges Ordinance to summon Mr Macleod to give evidence on the payment made after Mr Allen left the post suddenly in February.
He had fulfilled two years of a contract that was to run until 1997, when the Chek Lap Kok airport was due to open.
