Lawmakers not allowed to testify in Public Works case

Vong Hin Fai

The lawmakers Vong Hin Fai, Chui Sai Cheong, and Chui Sai Peng will likely not be allowed to testify in court in the case involving two former directors of the former Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT), TDM has reported.

The Legislative Assembly (AL) has not authorized Vong to participate in yesterday’s court session, where he was to have been a witness.

It is anticipated the same will happen to lawmakers Chui Sai Cheong and Chui Sai Peng who are, respectively, brother and cousin of the former Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On.

Chui Sai Peng

The three lawmakers joined the former CE as well as the former Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Lau Sio Io, and the current one, Raimundo do Rosário, on the growing list of those called to testify but who will not actually do so, as TDM had reported earlier.

Other witnesses have implicated the former CE, Chui Sai On, linking him to the approval of the construction project at Coloane Hill.

The name of Chui Sai On was mentioned again last week at the trial when an employee of Sio Tak Hong (one of the businessmen who is also a defendant in the case), Iek Wai Chan, said the former CE had greenlighted the project.

At the time, Iek also said that in a meeting between Sio and the former CE, Chui Sai On would have said the project could proceed without a height restriction as it was in a “blank area” not covered by restrictions.

She also told the court that in this meeting the former Secretaries, Lau and Carion, were also present.

The trial’s main defendants, the two former DSSOPT directors, Jaime Carion and Li Canfeng, continued yesterday with the hearing of several staff members’ testimony from the DSSOPT.