Development official’s failure to declare part of inheritance sparks debate over conflict of interest

A newly appointed development official sparked debate over conflict of interest on Tuesday after it was discovered he did not declare four illegal structures on farmland that he is set to inherit from his father.

The Development Bureau rejected accusations of a conflict, saying that Liu Chun-san, who was appointed undersecretary for development in August, had nothing to do with the illegal structures, as he had not officially owned his part of the inheritance.

The bureau added that two of the structures had already been demolished.

But concerned parties said senior officials’ interests in farmland could hurt the government’s credibility because agricultural land had been considered a source of future land development.

They also urged the government to investigate whether Liu had fully declared his interests.

In Liu’s declaration of interest in August, he said he had one sixth of the beneficiary interest “of a residential village house and farmland owned by my deceased father”.