Contractor’s 2 directors deny all allegations in Tai Po fire witness statements

A district councillor, Peggy Wong Pik-kiu, who has been criticised for her links to the former owners’ committee of the Tai Po complex, also rejected allegations of exchanging “gift bags” for proxy votes and denied soliciting or submitting proxies in a meeting that selected the contractor for renovation works at the estate.

Gordon Ho Kin-yip and Hau Wah-kin, directors of Prestige Construction and Engineering, denied bid-rigging allegations in witness statements released on the website of the independent committee investigating the Wang Fuk Court fire on Wednesday night.

Ho said that profit margins in the renovations industry were squeezed, and relationships between rival bidders were hostile, making collusion impossible.

He “respectfully and verily” denied all allegations that Prestige had tacitly colluded with any other contractors.