****************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority has temporarily suspended building works at two blocks of a construction site in Shatin after discrepancies were found between the recorded pile lengths and the actual pile lengths.
The suspension at Shatin Area 14B Phase 2 was ordered to facilitate site investigation currently underway to assess the extent of the problem. Site staff directly involved in the piling project have also been removed.
Two independent consultants are now carrying out a third-party study on the as-built foundations of the remaining blocks.
At a special meeting of the Authority's Building Committee (BC) today (Saturday), it was decided that no works contract would be awarded to the piling contractor pending the outcome of the investigation. A report will be submitted to the BC within two months.
Today's meeting was held to inform BC Members of the case under the Early Warning System introduced to enhance monitoring, transparency and accountability. Building irregularities, once identified, will be reported.
A spokesman for the Authority said the discrepancies were found by Housing Department staff on 3 January 2000 when initial results of the actual pile lengths were obtained from coring tests, under the Authority's current review of all projects under construction.
"We have referred the case to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for suspected malpractice. We will offer full assistance to the ICAC and will not tolerate any corruption-related offences," the spokesman said.
"As a responsible developer, the Authority has always been concerned with structural safety which we will not compromise. The integrity of the foundation must be confirmed before building construction will resume."
The Shatin site comprises five Home Ownership Scheme blocks of Concord design not yet scheduled for sale. The two blocks in question were founded on rock with large diameter bored piles.
End/ Saturday, 8 January 2000
NNNN