Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam asks Beijing to remove home affairs chief from post after scandal surrounding Omicron-hit birthday bash
- Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui earlier issues statement saying he has tendered his resignation and will take responsibility for his actions
- In embarrassing situation for administration, Tsui and several other officials and lawmakers had been ordered into quarantine after attending banquet
Lam revealed the decisions on Monday hours after Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai issued a statement saying he had tendered his resignation to her and would take responsibility for his actions.
Tsui said: “As one of the principal officials taking the lead in the anti-epidemic fight, I have not set the best example during the recent outbreak.
“I made the wrong decision to attend a banquet on January 3 and behaved in an inappropriate manner when all efforts should have been devoted to controlling the spread of the virus.”
Confirming a Post report last week that he was expected to vacate his post over the scandal, Tsui, 44, said he would leave the role on Monday.
In an incident that deeply embarrassed the government, Tsui and several other officials and lawmakers were ordered to undergo quarantine after attending the birthday party of a pro-Beijing figure along with two people later found to have Covid-19, going against the advice of health authorities to avoid large gatherings.