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| Mak Chai-kwong only sworn in as a minister in the newly-installed government of CY Leung last week |
A senior
minister in Hong Kong is among four people arrested on corruption charges
following allegations they abused government housing allowances.
Mak
Chai-kwong also resigned as development minister on Thursday.
He has not
commented since his arrest but has previously admitted to buying adjacent flats
with another official and renting them out to each other. But he also said this
breached no rules.
This comes
days after Hong Kong's new chief executive began his first term.
Chief
Executive CY Leung also faces legal challenges over claims that he made false
statements about illegal structures in his home.
'Followed
regulations'
Hong Kong's
Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said that it "has
commenced an investigation upon receipt of corruption complaints" on four
officials.
The ICAC
"confirms that the head of a government bureau, an assistant director of a
government department and two other persons have been arrested for allegedly
violating the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance in relation to government housing
allowances", it said in a statement.
On the
arrests, the Department of Justice also issued a statement, saying that it
"will ensure that due and proper processes are observed in the conduct of
the case" and that "the law and prosecution policy" would be
followed.
Mr Mak has
not made any comment since his arrest and the reasons for his resignation are
not clear.
Hong Kong's
Apple Daily newspaper cited land registry documents to show that Mr Mak and
Tsang King-man, the assistant director of the highways department, bought
adjacent flats in the 1980s and rented them to each other.
Mr Mak is
alleged to have been claiming government housing allowances at the time, but he
denies any wrongdoing.
"I
gave [the civil service bureau] all the facts, and I don't think I breached any
regulation," Mak told local radio, according to the AFP news agency.
"I
have followed regulations and I don't think the matter involves my personal
integrity," he said.
Mr Leung
was chosen as Hong Kong's new leader by a committee of 1,200 business leaders
and other influential citizens mostly loyal to Beijing after an unusually
turbulent campaign in March.
The Chinese
government switched its support to him after a string of scandals hit early
front runner Henry Tang, who was also said to have had an illegal basement at
his home.
Last week,
a group of lawmakers filed a judicial review, asking a judge to overturn the
election result, as well as an election petition.
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