Hong Kong raids offices in bid-rigging probe after deadly Wang Fuk fire
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The fire highlighted abuse in Hong Kong’s building renovation industry, a billion-dollar sector long plagued by allegations of corruption.
PHOTO: REUTERS
HONG KONG - The Hong Kong authorities searched 27 premises on Jan 28 and Jan 29 as part of an investigation into bid-rigging on building maintenance projects, two months after a fire in a residential estate killed 168 people
The Competition Commission said the search included the offices of 14 companies and residences of individuals suspected of rigging the tendering for projects at 17 housing estates and buildings. The total value of the projects is about HK$700 million (S$113 million), it said in a statement.
The bid-rigging syndicate was uncovered after evidence from four previous search operations was analysed, including two alongside the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Competition Commission said.
This week’s search operation, code-named “Hunter”, comes after a devastating fire in November 2025 ripped through Wang Fuk Court, an estate in Hong Kong’s New Territories.
The tragedy highlighted abuse in the city’s building renovation industry, a billion-dollar sector long plagued by allegations of corruption.
The bid-rigging syndicate was masterminded by a project contractor, and its members included other contractors and a consultancy firm, according to the statement on Jan 29. The Competition Commission did not disclose any names.
The mastermind obtained confidential project cost estimates from the consultancy firm and then coordinated with other contractors, which submitted artificially high “pig quotes” to create a false impression of competition, the commission said.
The operation over the past two days involved building maintenance projects at 13 residential estates and buildings, four industrial and commercial buildings spanning nine districts.
Hong Kong’s government has set up an independent committee to investigate the November fire. It has pledged to collaborate with professional organisations, such as the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, to provide advice to home owners on how to maintain buildings, hire accredited inspectors and protect their rights. BLOOMBERG
