Authorized Persons disciplined for negligence or misconduct in a professional way
The Authorized Persons', Registered Structural Engineers' and Registered Geotechnical Engineers' Disciplinary Board (the Board) has completed a disciplinary inquiry and decided that two Authorized Persons and a Registered Structural Engineer registered under the Buildings Ordinance (Ordinance), shall be disciplined for being negligent or misconducting themselves in a professional way under section 7(1A)(b) of the Ordinance.
The Board ordered the three respondents to be reprimanded and each of them to pay the inquiry costs of the Board and the Buildings Authority, which amounted to $155,500. The Board's decision was published in the Gazette today (October 16). Details are available at the following link: www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20151942/egn201519427832.pdf
The three respondents misconducted themselves in a professional way in relation to building works carried out in Sai Kung between July and August 2009 for the purpose of the preventive/remedial works to an earth-retaining structure which was required to be carried out in response to a Dangerous Hillside Order. The building works were inconsistent with the plans of the Required Building Works approved by the Building Authority (BA) and done without the BA's prior consent.
After the disciplinary hearing conducted in August 2014 and January 2015, the Board made the above decision and order on January 22 this year in accordance with sections 7(2)(b), 7(2A) and 7(3) of the Ordinance.
A spokesperson for the Buildings Department emphasised that persons registered under the Ordinance may be disciplined if they commit professional negligence or misconduct. They may be liable to criminal prosecution if they commit other offences under the Ordinance.
Ends/Friday, October 16, 2015