Corruption investigation into HK-Zhuhai-Macau bridge leads to 21 arrests

SHANGHAI - Hong Kong’s top anti-graft watchdog has detained 21 employees at a Government contractor for allegedly faking test results for materials used to build the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, currently under construction linking the Chinese Mainland with the two special administrative regions.

Those arrested were released on bail pending further inquiries, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said. A Government spokesman said Hong Kong was conducting an in-depth examination of the safety of the Hong Kong section of the bridge.

The contractor involved was hired by Hong Kong’s civil engineering department to conduct compression tests on samples of concrete. The test for each sample was required to be conducted within a set time frame and all cube-formed samples were required to pass the test.

The Department said it found that laboratory technicians and assistants may have adjusted the timing mechanisms on the testing machines to cover up irregularities when some tests were not conducted within a given timeframe. www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).