Lisa Kuo told me to leave after I objected to illegal basement: engineer
Lisa Kuo 'understood' structural engineer's resistance to building illegal basement - but told him he would be replaced, court hears
The wife of former chief secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen told a structural engineer she would dispense with his services after he objected strongly to the building of a lavish illegal basement at the couple's home in Kowloon Tong, a court heard yesterday.
They have pleaded not guilty to starting construction of the basement, reportedly measuring 2,400 sq ft, at the York Road house in 2005 without planning approval. The basement - dubbed "an underground palace" - was said to house lavish facilities including a wine cellar, gymnasium and Japanese bath.
"It is a serious breach of the Buildings Ordinance," Chezy Tang, testifying for the prosecution, told Kowloon City Court.
The court yesterday moved on to the trial of the three defendants, after Henry Tang's wife Lisa Kuo Yu-chin was fined HK$110,000 the day before on her guilty plea to the charge of starting the basement's construction without approval. Her fine was the highest of 73 similar cases in the past 10 years.
"The extent of unauthorised building works … is substantial," Magistrate Ko Wai-hung said in sentencing Kuo.
A media exposé of the basement last year derailed Henry Tang's bid for chief executive.
