No benefits in exchange for proxy votes, district councillor tells Tai Po fire probe

Former chairman of estate management committee denies trading favors for votes as panel probes deadly Hong Kong fire. | Contesto: cronaca

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• No benefits in exchange for proxy votes, district councillor tells Tai Po fire probe

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A former chairman of a Tai Po housing estate's management committee has denied offering benefits to residents in exchange for their proxy votes, as an independent panel investigating Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades turned its focus to the governance of the building. Tony Tsui Moon-come, who chaired the Wang Fuk Court owners' corporation management committee at the time of the fatal blaze, testified on Friday that he had never provided any advantages to secure the authorizations that helped maintain his position on the committee. The hearing represents a critical phase in the inquiry into the September fire, which claimed multiple lives in the New Territories public housing estate. The role and decisions of the Wang Fuk Court management committee have come under intense scrutiny, with its handling of building safety and maintenance contracts forming a central line of questioning. The independent investigation panel is examining whether systemic failures in management contributed to conditions that allowed the fire to spread with such devastating speed and lethality. Alongside Tsui, a construction worker involved in renovation projects at the estate was also scheduled to give evidence, highlighting the probe's focus on the nexus between governance, contracting, and on-site safety practices. Proxy votes have emerged as a significant point of contention in understanding the committee's operational dynamics. In many Hong Kong housing estates, these votes allow committee members to wield decision-making power on behalf of absent owners, potentially concentrating influence. Tsui's denial addresses allegations that such mechanisms could be misused to entrench control without direct accountability to all residents. The panel's interest suggests concerns that governance structures, rather than just immediate physical hazards, may have played a part in the tragedy. The fire at Wang Fuk Court has sparked a citywide re-evaluation of fire safety in older residential buildings, particularly those from the 1970s and 1980s. The disaster has exposed gaps in enforcement of building codes, the adequacy of regular inspections, and the effectiveness of owners' corporations in...

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Categoria: cronaca