MTR Corporation orders contractors to dig up paperwork at every site along Hong Kong’s Sha Tin-Central rail link after missing forms scandal
- Another contractor of work along city’s costliest rail project says Leighton’s case of missing RISC forms is ‘outrageous’
- Meanwhile, whistle-blower casts doubt on MTR’s claims that it did not receive papers
Hong Kong’s beleaguered MTR Corporation has ordered contractors to dig up paperwork at every construction site along the Sha Tin-Central rail link, amid an escalating crisis in the city’s costliest rail project.
The lapse added to the MTR Corp’s woes over shoddy construction plaguing the project and allegations of a cover-up involving work on new station platforms of the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.4 billion) link.
The latest controversy over paperwork centred on three locations in the station – two approach tunnels and stabling sidings, or connecting side tracks. Questions were raised over how Leighton managed to proceed without having key documents countersigned by rail supervisory staff.
Derek Zen Wei-peu, chairman of listed construction firm Build King Holdings, told the Post that the MTR Corp had instructed contractors across sites along the link to hand in all required paperwork known as RISC (Request for Inspection and Survey Checks) forms. The documents are used to certify completion of each work phase.
“The MTR Corp told us that it needed to check the documents that we’ve kept. It involves every construction site for the overall rail line. Now we need to dig up all the RISC forms and submit them.
“We are still tracing the documents. We are talking about a large volume of paperwork stored in containers and it takes time,” Zen said.