Hong Kong authorities will launch a disciplinary investigation into officials involved in a bottled water procurement scandal after an initial probe by the audit watchdog found that human error may have been a factor in the case.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu on Monday also announced six recommendations to improve the government’s procurement process.
The move came two months after the Government Logistics Department awarded a three-year HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) contract to Xin Ding Xin Trade, which allegedly used fraudulent documents.
The company, which was chosen to supply bottled drinking water to certain government offices, is suspected of scamming the department and breaching the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
Hui said the disciplinary investigation would cover all officials who had taken part in the bottled water procurement process, regardless of their rank or whether they had retired.
The remark implied that Carlson Chan Ka-shun, who was the head of the logistics department when the scandal broke, would be covered by the probe even though he started his pre-retirement leave last month.