Search for HKU deputy head should have been halted when Johannes Chan was revealed as sole candidate, Legco president says

The search process for a key managerial post at the University of Hong Kong should have been halted as soon as the name of the sole candidate was exposed, Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said today.

Tsang, an HKU alumnus, was commenting on the appointment saga involving former HKU law dean Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, who was controversially rejected for the position of pro-vice-chancellor last week by the university’s governing council.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Tsang said the institution should have halted the search when some media revealed Chan’s name earlier.

“As personnel appointment must be kept confidential, if it was exposed to the light, the process should be halted,” Tsang said during an RTHK talk show.

He said the HKU council could then ask the search committee to restart the search. “After all, this position had been left vacant for a long time,” he said.

READ MORE: University of Hong Kong's law faculty defends former dean Johannes Chan amid fallout from appointment row

The HKU saga started at the height of pro-democracy protests in October last year when leaked emails from Occupy founder and HKU professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting were sent to the media by unknown sources. The emails revealed Tai had handled HK$1.45 million in donations for HKU, and Chan also handled part of the money.