At least 1 senior official to take rap for deadly Tai Po fire as part of ‘bold’ reforms

At least one senior official will take the rap for the deadly Tai Po fire that killed 168 people as part of a set of “bold, comprehensive and far-reaching reforms” the Hong Kong government will announce on Thursday afternoon, sources have told the South China Morning Post.

The official’s expected resignation would be part of the political accountability that the government hoped to underscore along with major reforms on administrative accountability that will go right to the top, one source said.

The shake-up is expected to serve as the opening move towards broader structural reforms and set in motion legislative changes to ensure mechanisms are set in place to prevent a repeat of a tragedy of such a scale in the city.

While no name was immediately available, clues can be found in the citing of at least four departments in the final investigation report on Wang Fuk Court fire by an independent judge-led panel that concluded its probe in October.

The source also said it was noteworthy that the investigations and consequent decisions to effect the reforms had been taken within a year of the deadly tragedy, emphasising how the central government was supportive of the moves.

At least 14 people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption and bid-rigging offences connected to the fire so far, with the corruption watchdog stepping up investigations into estate renovations citywide.

Government sources said on Wednesday that city leader John Lee Ka-chiu would introduce criminal penalties for bid-rigging, strengthen building maintenance procedures and substantially increase fines for contractors and professionals who breached the rules.

A steering committee chaired by the chief secretary will also oversee the reforms.

Lee is also expected to give an update on efforts to pursue “administrative accountability”, including a timetable for the investigation results, and whether civil servants including permanent secretaries or department heads should be held accountable for serious or systemic problems.

The source on Thursday compared the speed of the investigations and actions to be taken to London’s Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 that killed 72 and took nine years to ascertain responsibility.

“It shows our determination,” the insider said.

Sources told the SCMP earlier that the report had identified four government bodies for accountability, including the Fire Services Department, the Buildings Department, the Labour Department and the Independent Checking Unit under the Housing Bureau.

According to one insider earlier, the unit should bear the greatest responsibility for a lack of oversight of renovation work at the public subsidised estate, which contributed to the heavy death toll from the inferno. But no officials were singled out in the report.