Abby Choi’s former father-in-law’s case prompts Hong Kong authorities to review asset policy for subsidised flat buyers
- Kwong Kau had HK$73 million property in his name when purchasing subsidised flat sparking concerns about loopholes in policy
- Permanent Secretary says government has not checked income and assets of some applicants since launching scheme in 1970s
Hong Kong authorities will review how the assets of prospective buyers of subsidised flats are assessed, after it emerged the former father-in-law of slain model Abby Choi Tin-fung owned one such home at the same time a HK$73 million (US$9.2 million) property was bought under his name.
Permanent Secretary for Housing Agnes Wong Tin-yu revealed the move on Monday when lawmakers questioned her about loopholes in the eligibility vetting system for subsidised flats after details of the property holdings of the Kwong family came to light.
While Wong refused to comment on individual cases, she added that “after such an extreme example”, the government would review its policy.
“We aim to implement the new arrangement in the next round of subsidised housing sales,” Wong said.
Choi’s former father-in-law Kwong Kau, 65, was listed as the owner of a 291 sq ft subsidised flat at Sheung Man Court in Kwai Chung sold under the Home Ownership Scheme for HK$2.18 million in July 2020. A HK$2.1 million mortgage was taken out to buy the property.