The city’s anti-corruption campaign on building renovation came after unsafe materials were found in a residential fire that killed at least 161.
Hong Kong officials arrested 21 people involved in the renovation of two housing estates in an anti-graft crackdown on building construction and maintenance, the city’s anti-corruption agency said on Jan. 2.
The operation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) came after unsafe materials were found in the debris of a residential fire in the Tai Po District that killed at least 161 in November 2025.
In a statement, the ICAC said it arrested 15 men and six women, aged between 30 and 81, in a crackdown on a corrupt building maintenance syndicate.
The individuals were arrested on suspicion of corruption in relation with two grant renovation projects in the Kwun Tong District, in which they acted as middlemen, project consultants, project contractors, or members of incorporated owners (IO), who are the individual owners of apartments.
According to the ICAC, in one of the projects, the contractor allegedly bribed the project consultant and some IO members through middlemen to secure the $33 million contract.
In the other project, middlemen are accused of collecting proxy statements from apartment owners by corrupt means in order to secure future contracts.
“Building maintenance is closely related to the public and involves multiple stakeholders. The ICAC has always attached great importance to corruption in building maintenance, adopting a three-pronged strategy of law enforcement, systemic prevention and community education in tackling these cases,” the agency stated.
The arrests are unrelated to the fire in Tai Po, the deadliest blaze in Hong Kong in three decades.
On Nov. 26, seven of eight residential towers in the Wang Fuk Court became engulfed in flames. The fire was put out in the early hours of Nov. 28. A total of 161 people were confirmed dead, including a firefighter.
Seventy-nine people were hospitalized. By Dec. 30, 67 had been sent home, while 12 remained in the hospital in stable condition, the Health Bureau said in an update on Jan. 1.
Officials overseeing the investigation said that tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the fire revealed that it did not meet fire-retardant standards. They also said that foam insulation used by contractors had fanned the flames, and fire alarms at the complex were not working properly.
By Christmas Day, 16 people linked to the maintenance of the Wang Fuk Court had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, including IO members, project consultants, and contractors. The police investigation continues.
Victoria Friedman contributed to this report.
By Lily Zhou
