Claims of conflict of interest in contest
Macau's first open architectural contest in almost a decade has drawn an outcry over its fairness that may prompt an investigation.
A contest to design Macau's new central library, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, attracted 31 submissions from architects.
But an employee of a consulting firm hired by the government to plan the central library project took part in the contest and won the top two prizes last month, fuelling speculation of conflict of interest.
Architect Rui Leao said the result had dealt a heavy blow to the morale of architects, hurting their trust in the government's pledge of fairness.
'Our profession is going through a bad time with fewer public projects in the wake of the Ao Man-long graft scandal,' Mr Leao said. 'We've waited long enough for such a contest - the first open one in nine years.'