Ex-Tourism Board chief faces insurance plan investigation
Clara Chong Ming-wah, the former Hong Kong Tourism Board executive director at the centre of a medical insurance plan controversy, is facing a police investigation after the government passed the case to the authorities yesterday.
The Tourism Commission said it had referred the matter to law enforcement agencies to consider taking follow-up action, as recommended by the Legislative Council's Public Accounts Committee.
A police spokesman said they had received information about the matter from the commission and would follow it up as soon as possible.
The government's actions follow the release of a damning report by the Legco committee highlighting lax corporate governance by the board. The report devoted a major portion to the circumstances surrounding the executive medical plan enjoyed by Ms Chong and recommended that the government recover the plan's benefits that exceeded her employment contract, or about HK$140,000.
An apologetic Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, the former board chairwoman who ultimately approved the medical plan, said the committee's findings were accurate and she accepted responsibility as chairwoman. 'The fact of the matter is, I have approved an item of expenditure which I did not have the authorisation to approve. And no matter how complicated the process was leading up to that approval, I made a mistake. For that, I would like to apologise to the public,' Mrs Chow said.
Asked to comment yesterday, Ms Chong said: 'I'm not prepared to say anything right now.'