Hong Kong’s MTR Corp files police report over counterfeit brick scandal
Legitimate maker of German-owned brick brand weighs in after alleged installation of fakes at Tung Chung East station construction site
The rail giant made the move on Wednesday after the sole licensed mainland Chinese manufacturer of a German-owned brick brand said it had taken legal action over alleged falsification of authorisation documents and test reports two months ago, before imitation products were found at the Tung Chung East station project.
“The corporation has not been able to resolve concerns surrounding the authenticity of materials and documentation supplied to it by a subcontractor appointed by the main contractor,” the MTR Corp said.
“After careful investigation and verification, the corporation has reported the matter to police this afternoon.”
The rail giant confirmed on Monday that it had received complaints following a media report alleging that the contract for the station project originally required the use of German-engineered “YTong” tiles. The subcontractor reportedly supplied a similarly named product – “Beijing YiTong” – which was believed to have been manufactured on the mainland.
The MTR Corp said it received an email from Jetway Building Material Limited in early June that questioned whether the bricks supplied by a subcontractor were from an authorised manufacturer. Jetway is the sole agent for the bricks.