Inquiry into shoddy work on Hong Kong’s most expensive rail project hears fresh allegations from whistle-blower, who claims station was not earthquake tested
- Jason Poon tells commission of inquiry more than 30,000 rebar connections were defective
- Managing director of subcontractor China Technology Corporation also says he saw no torque meter used to properly maintain tensile strength of bars
The whistle-blower on a construction scandal involving Hong Kong’s most expensive rail project has made fresh allegations about shoddy work on a station platform.
Appearing at the commission of inquiry investigating shoddy work on the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.3 billion) Sha Tin-Central link, Jason Poon Chuk-hung claimed more than 30,000 rebar connections were defective, in addition to about 1,000 faulty steel bars.
Poon, the managing director of subcontractor China Technology Corporation, was hired by main contractor Leighton Contractors (Asia) to do concreting work at Hung Hom station.
Leighton is embroiled in allegations that steel bars were cut short to fake proper installation into couplers on the platform, and supporting diaphragm walls were changed without authorisation.
Commission counsel Ian Pennicott SC, QC asked Poon why he stated in an email to Leighton operations manager Anthony Zervaas in September 2017 that the number of substandard bars exceeded 30,000, yet in his witness statement he estimated more than 1,000 bars had been cut.