Fresh conflict of interest accusations aimed at Hong Kong firm trusted with maintaining tree that killed Indonesian domestic worker Jumiati Supadi
- Tree management companies have reshuffled their directors since tragedy took the life of 48-year-old woman, but conflict of interest identified in previous Post investigation has merely been replaced by another
Three tree management firms linked to the collapse of a branch that killed a domestic worker in August have reshuffled their directors since the incident, giving rise to fresh accusations of a conflict of interest.
The Post has found the changes potentially compromise two more contracts awarded in a tendering system run by the Housing Authority, Hong Kong’s main provider of public housing.
Responsible for 100,000 trees on residential estates, the authority told the Post it would look into the case and consider whether follow-up action was necessary.
Four months ago, 48-year-old Jumiati Supadi was killed by a 30kg falling branch at Shun Lee Estate in Sau Mau Ping, East Kowloon. The branch was from a 40-year-old Indian rubber tree.
It was the fifth tree-related fatality in the city in 10 years, and raised questions about why the contractor, City Landscaping, failed to identify acute problems with the tree over the preceding eight months.
