The head of Hong Kongโs logistics department, embroiled in a water procurement scandal, has started his pre-retirement leave.
According to the latest government gazette, Carlson Chan Ka-shun ceased to be the director of the Government Logistics Department on Friday as he began his pre-retirement leave.
His former deputy, Avia Lai Wong Shuk-han, was appointed as the acting director of the department.
Asked whether the leave was part of disciplinary action taken against the official, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, who oversees the department, said Chanโs retirement was simply a โnormal arrangementโ.
He added the government was addressing the scandal from three aspects: the departmentโs remedial efforts, the Audit Commissionโs investigation and a task force he chaired to review the incident and come up with recommendations.
Last month, the government was caught in a bottled water procurement scandal in which the logistics department awarded a three-year HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) contract to Xin Ding Xin Trade, which allegedly used fraudulent documents.
The company, chosen to supply bottled drinking water to some government offices, is suspected of scamming the department and breaching the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.