Was Leighton Contractors in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin-Central rail scandal guilty of ‘corporate arrogance’?
- Inquiry into shoddy work controversy continues with revelation that whistle-blower was not shown findings of internal probe sparked by his allegations
- Project chief says he did not want to give subcontractor further ‘airtime’ as latter was just applying pressure over commercial dispute
A judge in an inquiry into the construction scandal rocking Hong Kong’s costliest rail project has raised suggestions of “corporate arrogance” over how the main contractor at the centre of the controversy did not disclose findings of an internal probe sparked by a whistle-blower.
Anthony Zervaas, project director of Leighton Contractors (Asia) revealed that his company had investigated claims of shoddy work when the allegations were brought to him by Jason Poon Chuk-hung, managing director of subcontractor China Technology Corporation.
The row between both parties centred on accusations that workers had shortened steel bars to fake their proper installation into couplers at the Hung Hom station of the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.3 billion) Sha Tin-Central link.
Zervaas said an investigation was conducted but he was then told his team found no evidence to prove widespread and systematic malpractice as Poon had suggested. He added that Poon made the claims through email and said former Leighton superintendent Khyle Rodgers was aware of the issue.
But the Leighton project head said he felt its subcontractor was just attempting to apply commercial pressure as part of a business dispute, and therefore did not follow up with Poon on the findings.