https://www.scmp.com/rss/524041/feed The latest news and top stories on the Independent Commission Against Corruption. A Hong Kong-based independent governmental body, the ICAC combats corruption in public and private sectors. Established in 1974, its mission involves investigation, prevention and community education, contributing to Hong Kong's integrity and low corruption reputation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial For decades, Hong Kong has prided itself on being one of the world’s cleanest cities, where corruption is swiftly punished and the rule of law firmly upheld. However, a persistent rot has been left to fester in the building renovation sector – a problem recently linked to a horrific blaze that claimed 168 lives at a Tai Po housing estate last November. In this respect, two recent high-profile actions by the Independent Commission Against Corruption serve as a welcome reminder of Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348921/moves-clean-hong-kong-building-renovation-sector-cant-come-too-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348921/moves-clean-hong-kong-building-renovation-sector-cant-come-too-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:14 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 10 people on suspicion of working as part of a crime syndicate that used triad connections to take control of a HK$160 million (US$20.4 million) renovation project, among other offences. The operation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption also led police to arrest 32 suspects in raids on multiple New Territories premises believed to be controlled by the syndicate’s triad elements. The watchdog said on Monday it had arrested the owner... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348355/icac-arrests-42-hk180-million-crackdown-triad-linked-renovation-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348355/icac-arrests-42-hk180-million-crackdown-triad-linked-renovation-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:28:09 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A City University (CityU) professor has been sentenced to 4½ months in prison for offering a HK$1,000 (US$128) bribe to a Hong Kong property agent, after a magistrate dismissed the defendant’s claims that the situation arose from “cultural differences”. Du Du, 48, an associate professor at the university’s economics and finance department, was granted bail on Wednesday to appeal against his conviction for offering an advantage to the agent in an attempt to avoid paying HK$16,000 for breaching a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347878/cityu-professor-gets-4-1/2-months-prison-offering-hk1000-bribe-agent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347878/cityu-professor-gets-4-1/2-months-prison-offering-hk1000-bribe-agent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:23:28 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has taken legal action against a syndicate it accuses of trying to corner a quarter of the building maintenance market, with one of the bids under scrutiny involving the Tai Po housing complex destroyed in a deadly blaze last year. The Competition Commission said on Wednesday it had launched proceedings at the Competition Tribunal over six undertakings involving eight companies and 12 individuals concerning building maintenance projects worth nearly HK$700... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347803/hong-kongs-icac-charges-5-over-alleged-building-renovation-bribery-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347803/hong-kongs-icac-charges-5-over-alleged-building-renovation-bribery-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:03:53 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s market regulator will soon begin inspection of investment banks to assess their roles as sponsors of listing candidates, in its latest effort to uphold the quality of new listings amid a booming market. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said the inspection would focus on whether banks had complied with its January circular, which outlined expectations on staffing and quality controls when handling initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong. For example, the SFC expected... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347182/sfc-prepares-inspect-hong-kong-ipo-listing-sponsors-amid-quality-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347182/sfc-prepares-inspect-hong-kong-ipo-listing-sponsors-amid-quality-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:00:18 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Fourteen members of the former owners’ corporation of blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court along with seven residents have been named to give evidence at an independent probe into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades. They are among 37 named in a list released on Tuesday by the independent committee investigating the deadly Tai Po blaze, ahead of the first of eight hearings into the tragedy. The first hearing will take place on Thursday, while the last is scheduled for April 2. “The committee will also... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346891/21-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-residents-give-evidence-fire-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346891/21-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-residents-give-evidence-fire-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:21:14 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has charged a former university professor with allegedly accepting a HK$40,000 (US$5,100) bribe from a friend and offering red packets to colleagues to facilitate a student’s admission into a master’s degree programme. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Monday revealed that Liu Hongbin, 63, a former chair professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s (HKUST) department of ocean science, and his friend Priscilla Lam Pui-ling,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346857/hong-kongs-icac-charges-ex-professor-over-alleged-bribe-admit-masters-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346857/hong-kongs-icac-charges-ex-professor-over-alleged-bribe-admit-masters-student?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:44:29 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) aims to recruit 50 officers during its latest round of hiring, with about 1,000 people attending its learning event this weekend. Paul Lau Chi-ho, the director of the ICAC’s Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, said the watchdog was confident it could fill the vacancies and did not plan to follow other disciplined services in easing recruitment criteria. Lau was speaking on Saturday, the first day of the agency’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346595/hong-kongs-anti-corruption-agency-seeks-50-new-officers-refuses-ease-criteria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346595/hong-kongs-anti-corruption-agency-seeks-50-new-officers-refuses-ease-criteria?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:20:57 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong is a critical financial hub for China. Its reputation for market integrity is therefore paramount. If the city wants to remain a top centre for initial public offerings and corporate fundraising, it must command the confidence and trust of investors that it is a clean market. Insider trading and market manipulation at the cost of honest market players are poison to that goal. Investors can easily find other markets with which to entrust their money. So it is good to see evidence of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3346503/zero-tolerance-insider-trading-central-hong-kongs-financial-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3346503/zero-tolerance-insider-trading-central-hong-kongs-financial-future?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Arrests in a HK$315 million (US$40 million) insider dealing case underscore Hong Kong’s commitment to upholding the integrity of its stock market amid a surge in new listings and share placements, according to industry players. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Thursday said it had arrested eight people after joining forces with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) earlier this week to raid premises connected to a hedge fund and two securities firms. The joint... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3346394/hong-kong-insider-trading-arrests-send-very-strong-message-market-integrity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3346394/hong-kong-insider-trading-arrests-send-very-strong-message-market-integrity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency arrested eight people after it joined forces with the market watchdog to raid 14 locations – including two securities firms and a hedge fund – in a two-day operation as part of insider-dealing cases worth HK$315 million (US$40 million), the two agencies said in separate statements on Thursday. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested six men and two women, aged between 35 and 60, including senior executives and a middleman, but did not... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346284/hong-kong-watchdog-detains-guotai-junan-employee-seizes-documents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346284/hong-kong-watchdog-detains-guotai-junan-employee-seizes-documents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:47:51 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has convicted a professor of offering a HK$1,000 (US$128) bribe to a property agent in an attempt to avoid paying HK$16,000 in compensation for breaching a tenancy agreement more than three years ago. Sha Tin Court on Tuesday rejected mainland Chinese scholar Du Du’s claim that he had only intended to reimburse the agent after backing out of a provisional tenancy agreement on the same day he signed it. In finding the 48-year-old guilty of offering an advantage to an agent, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346075/cityu-professor-convicted-offering-hk1000-bribe-avoid-tenancy-payout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346075/cityu-professor-convicted-offering-hk1000-bribe-avoid-tenancy-payout?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:04:53 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun The Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom has warned its citizens in the country to beware of scams involving fraudsters posing as staff from Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog. In a statement on Monday, the embassy said criminals had recently posed as staff of the city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to carry out telecommunications fraud. The criminals falsely accused victims of offences such as money laundering, pressuring them to cooperate in a bogus “investigation” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346063/chinese-embassy-warns-nationals-uk-scammers-posing-hong-kong-icac-staff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346063/chinese-embassy-warns-nationals-uk-scammers-posing-hong-kong-icac-staff?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:42:31 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Former Hong Kong lawmaker Chim Pui-chung has been granted bail of HK$5 million (US$640,000) pending an appeal against his conviction for conspiring with his son and others to defraud a listed company and the city’s stock exchange more than a decade ago. Chim, 79, applied for bail before a High Court judge for the second time on Wednesday, having been remanded in custody since his conviction in December 2024. Mr Justice Keith Yeung Kar-hung ordered Chim to remain in Hong Kong, surrender all... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345403/ex-hong-kong-lawmaker-chim-pui-chung-granted-hk5-million-bail-fraud-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345403/ex-hong-kong-lawmaker-chim-pui-chung-granted-hk5-million-bail-fraud-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:47:44 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong’s anti-graft watchdog has arrested 22 people on suspicion of corruption and other illicit activities linked to seven building renovation projects worth more than HK$200 million (US$25.6 million). The suspects – 17 men and five women, aged 36 to 78 – included directors and employees of four project consultancy firms and three contractors, as well as several chairmen of owners’ committees of the housing estates and buildings. The arrests followed a two-day operation, code-named “Lion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343507/22-arrested-hong-kongs-icac-raids-firms-linked-shady-renovation-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343507/22-arrested-hong-kongs-icac-raids-firms-linked-shady-renovation-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:39:08 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has arrested 33 people on suspicion of defrauding two government technology funding schemes of more than HK$150 million (US$19.2 million). The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Friday that it had dismantled two syndicates this month and arrested 24 men and nine women aged between 27 and 66, including a former Cyberport Management Company employee. The two funding schemes were the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme (DTSPP) and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341873/33-arrested-over-hk150-million-fraud-involving-hong-kong-tech-grant-schemes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341873/33-arrested-over-hk150-million-fraud-involving-hong-kong-tech-grant-schemes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:02:59 +0000 Ng Kang-chung,William Yiu,Edith Lin Ng Kang-chung,William Yiu,Edith Lin Hong Kong civil servants have been urged to exercise greater caution and refrain from accepting any offers in the workplace, as stakeholders called on authorities to explain how the head of a government office became embroiled in a bribery case. Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, former director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, was dismissed last week and placed under criminal investigation for allegedly accepting advantages without permission, after posting on social media about perks such as an upgraded... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341176/hong-kong-civil-servants-warned-avoid-perks-after-officials-bribery-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341176/hong-kong-civil-servants-warned-avoid-perks-after-officials-bribery-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 13:49:35 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 14 people, including a senior manager of a listed cleaning services company, on suspicion of bribery over the awarding of various contracts to subcontractors, and seized watches valued at more than HK$10 million (US$1.3 million). While the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) did not name any companies, the Post learned that one of them is Hong Kong Johnson Holdings. Hong Kong Johnson Holdings said on Thursday night in a filing to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340919/hong-kongs-icac-arrests-14-including-3-staff-listed-company-alleged-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340919/hong-kongs-icac-arrests-14-including-3-staff-listed-company-alleged-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:50:58 +0000 Vivian Au,Edith Lin Vivian Au,Edith Lin Since taking the helm of the owners’ corporation at her Hong Kong housing estate 12 years ago, Chan Wai-ling has received numerous reports of falling concrete, water leakage and other problems that should have been fixed during multimillion-dollar renovations a decade ago. “Whenever there is a typhoon, water leaks into our homes and damages the walls … We cannot sleep as we have to look out for the leakage,” said Chan, 63, referring to Grandway Garden, a subsidised housing estate in Tai Wai... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340900/can-hong-kong-find-quick-fixes-corruption-building-maintenance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340900/can-hong-kong-find-quick-fixes-corruption-building-maintenance-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:30:14 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong authorities could expand background checks on authorised persons in construction projects to cover company directors, the development chief has said, as the government moves to plug policy loopholes exposed by the Tai Po inferno. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho indicated the possible policy direction on Wednesday, after experts said earlier this month that government proposals to strengthen the city’s maintenance regime did not go far enough to address long-standing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340652/hong-kong-authorities-may-vet-construction-firm-directors-strengthen-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340652/hong-kong-authorities-may-vet-construction-firm-directors-strengthen-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:23:37 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The dust has settled on the election of the Legislative Council president, and committees and panels have settled into the new Legco. Most, it seems, are ready to hit the ground running. First on the agenda: dealing with the aftermath of the Tai Po fire. The more immediate matters involve the rebuilding of a community that has lost so much. Equally pressing are the long-standing issues laid bare by the tragic fire that demand the government fix the entire building sector. Consultations with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340199/policy-blowback-shows-why-hong-kong-lawmakers-must-play-bigger-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340199/policy-blowback-shows-why-hong-kong-lawmakers-must-play-bigger-role?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au New measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s building maintenance regime after the deadly Tai Po fire only scratch the surface of long-standing issues that require deeper systemic reforms and tougher laws, according to experts and industry figures. The damning verdict came after the government’s pledges and proposals on Wednesday to close policy gaps and tackle entrenched problems laid bare by the blaze at Wang Fuk Court. At the first Legislative Council meeting of the year, officials unveiled a raft... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340059/bid-rigging-and-loopholes-pledges-fall-short-fixing-hong-kongs-building-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340059/bid-rigging-and-loopholes-pledges-fall-short-fixing-hong-kongs-building-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:45:46 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Alongside death and taxes, there are few things more universally certain than corruption in public procurement. That is a reality worth keeping front of mind in Hong Kong as we home in on those we want to blame for the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire that in November killed at least 161 people and left thousands homeless. The maintenance contracts may not have been public procurement contracts, but they were supposed to be strictly overseen by officials and subject to government regulations.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong should make bid-rigging a crime in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a local think tank has urged, echoing a similar call from the city’s barristers. The proposal by the POD Research Institute came after the Hong Kong Bar Association formed a task force to review existing legislation following the deadly fire in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which tore through seven of the eight blocks under maintenance in November. The blaze, which killed at least 161 people and displaced... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338957/hong-kong-think-tank-backs-call-make-bid-rigging-crime-after-fatal-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338957/hong-kong-think-tank-backs-call-make-bid-rigging-crime-after-fatal-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 13:02:25 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung The owners’ committee of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Hong Kong has rejected accusations of poor transparency and accountability as a “baseless smear campaign”, issuing a lengthy report ahead of a legal process to dissolve the group. In a 183-page report issued on Monday to fellow owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the group also disclosed that it had paid about HK$180 million (US$23 million) to the contractors for repair and renovation work. The group added that it helped... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338826/hong-kongs-wang-fuk-court-owners-group-mounts-defence-against-smear-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338826/hong-kongs-wang-fuk-court-owners-group-mounts-defence-against-smear-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong homeowners should be vigilant against handing over their voting rights to strangers, a property management professional and a legislator have warned, saying proxy harvesting remains a rampant threat to building safety amid a major corruption crackdown. The warning was made on Monday amid heightened scrutiny of building management after the fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court that claimed 161 lives in November. Last week, 21 people were arrested in an operation by the city’s anti-corruption... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338737/warning-over-proxy-harvesting-hong-kong-amid-renovation-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338737/warning-over-proxy-harvesting-hong-kong-amid-renovation-corruption-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:40:07 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong Twenty-one people have been arrested in a crackdown by Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency on a triad-linked syndicate accused of manipulating renovation project tenders at two residential estates in Kwun Tong, with one contract valued at about HK$33 million (US$4.2 million). The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Friday that 15 men and six women, aged 30 to 81, were apprehended last week in connection with the case, including suspected core members of the ring. Among those... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338483/21-held-hong-kong-over-renovation-bid-rigging-including-hk33-million-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338483/21-held-hong-kong-over-renovation-bid-rigging-including-hk33-million-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:03:26 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse There are matters we need to sort out quickly arising from the Tai Po fire tragedy but also systemic issues that need to be tackled if we are to avoid a repeat of the disaster. The fact is that Hong Kong faces two sorts of ageing problems: old buildings and the old people who live in them. Sometimes they overlap. Hong Kong is inevitably a high-rise city, because so many people are crammed into a relatively limited land area. If you can’t build out, you build up. Since we have been developing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337832/hong-kong-must-tackle-long-term-problem-building-maintenance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337832/hong-kong-must-tackle-long-term-problem-building-maintenance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung,Denise Tsang Elizabeth Cheung,Denise Tsang Hong Kong authorities are seeking to dissolve the management committee of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation and appoint a new administrator for the residential estate, in an unprecedented move following the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Friday that the government was intervening for the first time on record in an estate’s affairs by applying to the Lands Tribunal to dissolve the management committee of the owners’... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337085/hong-kong-fire-authorities-seek-dissolve-wang-fuk-court-owners-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3337085/hong-kong-fire-authorities-seek-dissolve-wang-fuk-court-owners-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:03:27 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The aftermath of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades continues to unfold – with the widening of the net of arrests in connection with the Tai Po blaze and the cancellation of the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display. The city will live with the tragedy for a very long time. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has arrested the current and former chairmen of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation as part of an investigation into renovation work linked to the fire in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336926/hong-kong-right-strike-balance-new-years-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336926/hong-kong-right-strike-balance-new-years-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:45:07 +0000 Danny Mok,Vivian Au Danny Mok,Vivian Au Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested the current and former chairmen of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation as part of an investigation into renovation works linked to the city’s deadliest fire in decades, the Post has learned. The owners’ corporation has come under heavy scrutiny after the contractors it chose were found to have covered the estate buildings with substandard protective nets and foam boards, which are believed to be the cause of the unusually fast spread of last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336821/hong-kong-fire-chairman-former-head-wang-fuk-court-owners-group-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336821/hong-kong-fire-chairman-former-head-wang-fuk-court-owners-group-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:23:30 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former Hong Kong government engineer was jailed for five years and three months on Tuesday for laundering HK$6.26 million (US$804,000) in illegal proceeds, having lived far beyond his legitimate income. The High Court heard that 60-year-old Zsa Sing-tak had also accepted a HK$40,000 bribe to favour engineering firms linked to a friend during tendering processes for various government building works, including the maintenance of drinking fountains at municipal premises. Defence lawyers said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336675/hong-kong-engineer-gets-5-years-over-hk6-million-laundering-and-bribery-offences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336675/hong-kong-engineer-gets-5-years-over-hk6-million-laundering-and-bribery-offences?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:36:48 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Within hours of the Wang Fuk Court fire, international news channels were broadcasting harrowing scenes of burning buildings and a community in chaos. Thousands were displaced, the death toll has, sadly, reached 160, and the city is still seeking answers. Hong Kong was thrust into the global media spotlight, drawing its most intense scrutiny since 2019. While the Tai Po fire dominated international coverage, the deadly floods in southern Thailand and landslides in West Sumatra received limited... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335921/after-tai-po-fire-hong-kong-needs-support-compassion-and-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335921/after-tai-po-fire-hong-kong-needs-support-compassion-and-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li The owners’ corporation of the Hong Kong housing estate destroyed in last month’s deadly fire is seeking to oust the main contractor and consultant for renovation works after staff from both companies were arrested for alleged manslaughter and corruption. The Fire Services Department, meanwhile, revealed on Thursday that it had conferred the honorary title of senior fireman on the firefighter killed in the blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, and would bury him at Gallant Garden after a funeral on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3336092/owners-corporation-hong-kong-estate-destroyed-fire-oust-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3336092/owners-corporation-hong-kong-estate-destroyed-fire-oust-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 11:10:32 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu A district councillor facing public scrutiny amid Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades has said she will personally file reports with both police and the corruption watchdog to request an investigation. Peggy Wong Pik-kiu, a directly elected district councillor from the Tai Po South constituency, announced her decision via social media on Monday, saying the Wang Fuk Court blaze was a man-made tragedy, not a natural disaster, resulting from years of safety neglect. “The victims, both deceased... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334765/hong-kong-politician-peggy-wong-files-police-report-amid-tai-po-fire-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334765/hong-kong-politician-peggy-wong-files-police-report-amid-tai-po-fire-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:11:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo In the aftermath of the Wang Fuk Court fire tragedy, many people are busy playing fire sleuths and construction experts. Public concerns are fully justified by the magnitude of the horror. But we should be careful not to jump to conclusions. Far more constructive and responsible is not to guess, let alone insist on, what the causes of the fire were but to ask direct and relevant questions for which officials and experts must provide proper and accurate answers at some point. Accountability needs... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3334698/ask-questions-do-not-jump-conclusions-about-tai-po-fire-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3334698/ask-questions-do-not-jump-conclusions-about-tai-po-fire-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:28:40 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Hong Kong began a three-day official mourning period on Saturday for victims of the city’s deadliest blaze in decades as residents queued at the site of the tragedy and various halls to pay their respects, penning tributes and laying flowers. For the first time since the fire broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the death toll remained at 128 on Saturday. No further human remains were recovered, while about 150 people remained “unreachable”, according to police. Graft-busters... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334642/hong-kong-begins-3-days-mourning-more-arrests-made-over-deadly-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334642/hong-kong-begins-3-days-mourning-more-arrests-made-over-deadly-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 16:59:59 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Hong Kong authorities told the contractor linked to the city’s deadliest inferno in decades to step up fire safety measures as recently as last week. Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited received a fire warning about renovation work at Wang Fuk Court on November 20, the city’s Labour Department told the Post. Three prosecutions for safety violations at the site were also initiated between July 2024 and earlier this month, it said. The site was inspected 16 times. The city’s Independent... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334524/hong-kong-fire-trump-calls-japan-china-row-macron-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334524/hong-kong-fire-trump-calls-japan-china-row-macron-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:14:16 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters The death toll in Hong Kong’s worst fire in seven decades climbed to 83 on Thursday as many remained missing and a grief-stricken city rallied as one with authorities, private companies, charities and ordinary folks donating hundreds of millions to the victims and their families. The towering inferno that tore through seven blocks at a Tai Po housing estate under renovation was gradually brought under control after raging for more than 24 hours. But firefighters were still battling untamed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334428/death-toll-hong-kong-fire-rises-83-grief-stricken-city-rallies-help-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334428/death-toll-hong-kong-fire-rises-83-grief-stricken-city-rallies-help-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:57:48 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma The investigation into a deadly fire at a Hong Kong housing estate has centred on the use of flammable materials in the scaffolding covering the residential blocks, officials said on Thursday. Police arrested three men from the maintenance firm responsible for the buildings on suspicion of manslaughter, while the city’s anti-graft agency said it was looking into a possible case of corruption. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung had revealed shortly before 2am that authorities believed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334415/hong-kong-fire-probe-centres-widespread-use-flammable-material-building-firm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334415/hong-kong-fire-probe-centres-widespread-use-flammable-material-building-firm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:22:35 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The contractor behind renovation work at the site of Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades had previously breached safety requirements for construction projects on multiple occasions, the Post has found. Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited was convicted of two safety offences in a Mid-Levels project in November 2023, according to Labour Department records seen by the Post. Despite the offences, the firm would subsequently take on renovation work in 2024 at Wang Fuk Court housing estate in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334408/hong-kong-contractor-fire-hit-tai-po-project-has-record-safety-offences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334408/hong-kong-contractor-fire-hit-tai-po-project-has-record-safety-offences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:57:32 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on November 21, 1985 By James Sun Families to be evacuated The Housing Authority is expected to announce today (November 21, 1985) an intensive redevelopment programme for 26 substandard estate blocks from which more than 17,000 families will be evacuated in the next four years. The super programme, costing taxpayers up to $800 million will start next month if given the go-ahead by the Executive Council. The Housing Authority is to meet this morning to discuss... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333479/hong-kong-plans-demolition-26-housing-estates-1985-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333479/hong-kong-plans-demolition-26-housing-estates-1985-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 02:30:10 +0000 Jess Ma,Jeffie Lam Jess Ma,Jeffie Lam Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong has pledged to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach in safeguarding next month’s Legislative Council election, as the city’s anti-corruption agency charged three people for allegedly inciting others to boycott the poll. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) charged three individuals for allegedly reposting online messages that urged others not to vote and, on Thursday, issued arrest warrants for two men suspected of making such posts. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333496/beijing-vows-zero-tolerance-ahead-legco-poll-hong-kongs-icac-charges-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333496/beijing-vows-zero-tolerance-ahead-legco-poll-hong-kongs-icac-charges-3?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 05:11:10 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong police have arrested two men for allegedly vandalising campaign materials for the coming Legislative Council election. Police said on Saturday that officers found three vandalised election campaign posters hanging from the Tong Mi Road footbridge in Mong Kok on Thursday. After an investigation, officers arrested two local men, aged 29 and 34, in Mong Kok on Friday on suspicion of criminal damage, the force said. Police said the two suspects were being detained as part of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332926/2-hong-kong-men-arrested-over-vandalising-legco-election-campaign-posters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332926/2-hong-kong-men-arrested-over-vandalising-legco-election-campaign-posters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 09:46:39 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong has slammed attacks and smears on the coming Legislative Council election, while the city’s anti-corruption agency arrested three people for allegedly reposting online content inciting others to abstain from voting or to cast invalid ballots. The Office for Safeguarding National Security on Friday condemned acts by some people to disrupt the December 7 election, including inciting others not to vote or to cast “blank ballots” and deliberately damaging... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332833/3-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-inciting-spoiled-ballots-election-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332833/3-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-inciting-spoiled-ballots-election-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:27:29 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Lawyers for a footballer implicated in Hong Kong’s largest match-fixing case in recent years have argued that one of his former teammates made false accusations against him due to a conflict among the players. Former Hong Kong Under-23 player Brian Fok appeared at Eastern Court on Monday accused of offering bribes of HK$50,000 (US$6,430) to two teammates in 2021 and conspiring with three others to rig 32 local matches during the 2022-23 season. The 31-year-old Nigerian-born defender pleaded not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332222/footballer-blames-team-rift-false-claims-hong-kong-match-fixing-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332222/footballer-blames-team-rift-false-claims-hong-kong-match-fixing-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:49:02 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Thirty-two people, including more than a dozen frontline bank staff, have been arrested in a joint operation by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency and police over an alleged scam involving HK$140 million (US$18 million) in government-backed preferential loans. The operation, code-named “Momentum”, discovered bribes totalling HK$500,000 were paid to 13 frontline employees across 10 banks, principal investigator Grace Yee Hin-lai of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3331920/hong-kong-bank-staff-among-32-arrested-hk140-million-loan-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3331920/hong-kong-bank-staff-among-32-arrested-hk140-million-loan-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:19:46 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has charged a former senior biotech executive over allegedly concealing a conflict of interest when selecting a subcontractor for a Covid-19 community testing centre, resulting in service payments totalling HK$120 million (US$15.4 million). Chris Wong Lei-po, 56, former laboratory director of the Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre (HKMPDC), was charged with one count of fraud on Wednesday by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC),... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331781/hong-kong-graft-buster-charges-ex-biotech-staff-over-hk120-million-covid-contract?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331781/hong-kong-graft-buster-charges-ex-biotech-staff-over-hk120-million-covid-contract?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:37:30 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Hong Kong’s top court has reinstated the convictions and jail sentences of four conspirators who defrauded a leading finance company of HK$51 million (US$6.6 million) in commissions and bonuses in the city’s biggest corporate scandal in decades. In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Court of Final Appeal handed the city’s graft buster the victory in its eight-year effort to hold some of the senior figures of Convoy Global Holdings accountable as part of a larger crackdown on white-collar... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331678/hong-kong-court-restores-jail-terms-4-hk51-million-convoy-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331678/hong-kong-court-restores-jail-terms-4-hk51-million-convoy-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:44:02 +0000