Hong Kong authorities are expected to announce next month the results of their investigation into a bottled water scandal that rocked the city and take disciplinary action against those officials involved after confirming that the probe has been completed.
The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, which set up a task force to probe the scandal that emerged in August, on Tuesday said both the review of the government’s procurement system and related disciplinary investigation had been concluded.
In a statement, the bureau said the government was currently reviewing the contents of the investigation report and consulting the Department of Justice to determine what disciplinary actions should be taken.
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The results would be announced “as soon as possible”, with completion expected next month, followed by a summary alongside the task force’s report, it said.
The government came under scrutiny in August over a three-year HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) bottled water supply contract awarded to Xin Ding Xin Trade.
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The company allegedly submitted fraudulent documents and is suspected of defrauding the department and breaching the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
The task force, led by the bureau’s chief Christopher Hui Ching-yu, was formed a day after the Government Logistics Department (GLD) announced it had “partially terminated” the contract on August 16.