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1. Resumption of land at Johnston Road gazetted

2. Construction companies fined for mosquito breeding

3. KCRC man among 9 arrested for alleged piling scam

1. Resumption of land at Johnston Road gazetted
Hong Kong Government, 17 January 2003

The Lands Department today (January 17) announced the resumption of land at Johnston Road, Wan Chai for a redevelopment project by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). This is the first resumption for a URA project.

A total of 19 interests in Johnston Road, Ship Street, Tai Wong Street West and Tai Wong Street East will be resumed under the Lands Resumption Ordinance and will revert to the Government three months after the date of the Gazette Notice. Details of the private land affected are contained in the Gazette published today.

Apart from their entitlement to statutory compensation, eligible owners of domestic property will be offered an ex-gratia home purchase allowance or supplementary allowance as appropriate.

Owners and tenants affected may make statutory claims under the Lands Resumption Ordinance and, if the claims cannot be settled by agreement, may apply to the Lands Tribunal for adjudication. Any professional fees reasonably incurred for making such a claim may be reimbursed by Government. Occupiers of commercial properties may also be eligible for an ex-gratia allowance in lieu of the right to make statutory claims for business loss and disturbance.

Eligible domestic occupiers will be offered rehousing or ex-gratia cash allowance in lieu of rehousing by the URA. Rehousing will be in units provided by the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Hong Kong Housing Society, or the URA itself.

Upon completion of resumption and clearance, the site covering an area of about 2,100 square metres will be granted to the URA for redevelopment.

The site will be developed principally for commercial/residential use, possibly with some preservation elements. The proposed development will contribute to general environmental improvements in the locality.

2. Construction companies fined for mosquito breeding
Hong Kong Government, 17 January 2003

Four construction companies were fined a total of $39,000 for mosquito breeding in their construction sites at the Fanling Magistracy today (January 17).

One of the companies, Chun Wo Construction and Engineering Company Limited, was prosecuted twice by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on August 14 and September 30 last year, for mosquito breeding at two construction sites under its management at Pok Oi Hospital and Tin Shui Wai Area 111 in Yuen Long respectively. It was fined $2,000 for the first summons and $15,000 for repeated violation of the regulation.

The other three companies which were also found guilty of mosquito breeding at their construction sites were Dekotec Limited, China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited. They were fined $5,000, $9,000 and $8,000 respectively.

A spokesman for FEHD said that the department would conduct regular inspections to construction sites to prevent the outbreak of dengue fever. Prosecution will be pursued immediately against the sites where larvae or pupae of mosquitoes were found.

!¡±Under Section 27(3) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, an appointed contractor of a construction site shall be guilty of an offence if larvae or pupae of mosquitoes are found in any accumulation of water in the site. The maximum fine under this law is $25,000 with a daily fine of $450,!¡L he said.

The spokesman called on the public to report mosquito problems through the department's hotline 2868 0000.

3. KCRC man among 9 arrested for alleged piling scam
TOMMY LEWIS, SCMP 17 January 2003

Nine people including a senior employee of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation have been arrested for allegedly falsifying piling test records to cover up short piling on a housing complex at a West Rail site in Shamshuipo.

Anti-graft officers found that records for 700 out of 1,500 piles driven for three residential blocks at the Nam Cheong station site had been tampered with to show the piles met prescribed requirements.

The $38 million piling contract was sub-contracted to a piling company for construction of the residential blocks and a commercial complex. Piling work was completed in June last year.

Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) officers arrested the suspects following a complaint against some supervisory staff at the site.

Those arrested comprise a KCRC works inspector, two construction company engineers, four piling workers and a foreman of a piling sub-contractor, and an assistant inspector of a consultancy firm.

The suspects, aged between 20 and 60, were released on bail last night pending further inquiries.

An ICAC spokeswoman said the KCRC works inspector was seconded to an independent consultancy firm, which supervised the whole project, including the piling works.

The inspector was required to witness the final tests performed on all the piles and to ensure that the tests were conducted properly.

The senior management of the KCRC rendered full co-operation during the investigation, the spokeswoman said.

A spokesman for the KCRC said the piles in question were for supporting future development and did not affect the station or the railway.

"The completed [railway project] piles have passed all of the statutory inspections, load tests and approval process," the spokesman said. "The target opening date of West Rail in September this year will not be affected."

In January 2000, two 34-storey Home Ownership Scheme blocks in Yuen Chau Kok, Sha Tin, were found to have only three piles out of 36 that met the required standards.

The blocks were demolished later that month.