禮頓非「大到不能碰」 政府切勿口硬手軟

<轉載自2018年6月27日 明報 社評>

沙中線紅磡站月台剪短鋼筋事件，政府在限期屆滿前，終於收到承建商禮頓建築（亞洲）的報告。政府表示，若有足夠資料，會考慮是否需要採取規管行動，不會不了了之。當局是否說到做到，仍需拭目以待。紅磡站月台安全成疑，倘若「5000短筋」說法屬實，事態可能更嚴重，全面拆除石屎檢驗，才是安全第一、負責任的做法。「剪筋門」曝光以來，禮頓一直拒絕公開交代，態度並不合作。目前禮頓承接政府多個工程項目，總值數百億元，然而當局不能因此口硬手軟淪為紙老虎，而應考慮先暫停禮頓投標工務工程，直至真相水落石出。

全面鑿開月台石屎 查證五千短筋真偽

沙中線工程問題接二連三，繼紅磡站「剪筋門」後，會展站挖掘工程又未依照圖則安裝工字鐵支撐連續牆，兩項工程均牽涉禮頓。港鐵表示，紅磡站駐地盤人員先後5次發現鋼筋有問題，短筋數量少於20多支，惟有議員引述消息指，剪短鋼筋可能多達5000支，相當於總數兩成。有關說法是耶非耶難以判斷，最穩妥的做法是大規模鑿開混凝土，逐一詳細檢驗。「剪筋門」事態嚴重，已不可能單靠負載安全測試了事。

政府要求禮頓最遲本周二（昨天）呈交報告，解釋紅磡站剪短鋼筋事件，政務司長張建宗表示，如果承建商不在限期前交報告，發展局會「嚴肅處理」。最終禮頓有依時提交報告，不過內容究竟是知無不言言無不盡，還是蜻蜓點水虛與委蛇，外界不得而知。政府僅表示盡快按機制程序審視報告，再決定下一步行動，至於是否公開資料，還須審視資料性質，徵詢法律意見後才決定。

沙中線工程問題曝光以來，禮頓從未公開交代，就連港鐵方面亦頗有微言。港鐵主席馬時亨透露，他們曾要求禮頓出來交代，可是不得要領。有記者問港鐵是否對禮頓「無符」，馬時亨直言「同意有關說法」。分判商中科興業更聲稱，有人「警告」他們不得違反與承建商簽署的保密協議，早前中科代表向港鐵作供，又有人多次以「超出保密協議條款」為由，打斷中科人員作供。

禮頓建築於1962年成立，是澳洲禮頓控股旗下的全資子公司，1975年起涉足亞洲建築工程業務。面對跨國大企業，特區政府和港鐵均顯得甚為窩囊。港鐵未能要求禮頓交代事件，禮頓在「剪筋門」和會展站問題的表現，亦不令人覺得對港鐵有足夠尊重。

紅磡站剪短鋼筋事件，港鐵要向政府提交報告，然而禮頓並未配合，臨近最後關頭，才派地盤管理人員向港鐵解釋，以及提交工程文件。至於會展站挖掘工程不依圖則安裝工字鐵，情况也相當離譜。港鐵駐地盤人員發現問題後，向承建商「禮頓—中建聯營」發出「不合格報告」，然而承建商並未理會，沒有按港鐵要求提交修正方案，反而繼續挖掘，事件拖延一個月，挖掘工程才叫停。

暫停禮頓投標工程 政府須有從嚴決心

目前禮頓承接了多個港鐵和政府工程項目，合約總額近600億元，政府和港鐵高層是否因此敢怒不敢言，惹來不少懷疑。近日政府態度轉趨強硬，除了委任終審法院前法官夏正民領導獨立調查委員會，以便日後運用法定權力傳召禮頓高層作供，當局還成立跨部門小組，檢視現時禮頓承建的7項政府工務工程。政府表示，跨部門小組暫未發現工程結構或質量有問題。政府加強監察當然是好事，可是「剪筋門」已清楚說明，單靠檢視文件和走馬看花巡查，根本不可能發現問題。沙中線工程問題叢生，市民對政府監督能力大感懷疑，當局有必要以實際行動，證明跨部門小組不是裝裝門面走過場。

禮頓是少數有能力競投本港各類大型公共工程的承建商，惟亦非只此一家，不是「大到不能碰」，政府至少還有10多家大型承建商可以選擇，如果有承建商態度不合作，工程質量也引來公眾懷疑，政府沒理由投鼠忌器。「剪筋門」事態嚴重，禮頓表現惹來社會普遍不滿，誠信受到質疑，政府單是考慮到民情憂慮，就應該即時暫停禮頓投標工務工程，直至「剪筋門」獨立調查有結論為止，假如調查結果證明有人蓄意造假，政府應該更嚴正地嚴肅處理。

近日政府官員表示會詳細審視禮頓的報告，若不滿意禮頓的解釋，又或認為禮頓有問題，將會採取規管行動，不排除暫停禮頓投標政府工程，甚或除牌，云云，然而當局是否有決心從嚴處理，公眾始終欠缺信心。市民最擔心的就是政府口硬手軟，即使發現承建商有問題，懲罰也不過是投標扣分，從輕發落，形同無牙老虎。

Will the government be tough on Leighton?

AT long last, the government received a report from Leighton Asia, the main contractor, on the "shortened steel bars" incident in the platform construction project at Hung Hom station of the Sha Tin-Central link before the deadline. The government says that it will consider taking regulatory action if there is sufficient information. It will not leave the matter unresolved forever.

Problems concerning the construction of the Sha Tin-Central link have been exposed one after another. The "shortened steel bars" saga was followed by the revelation that, during a digging operation, I-beams were not installed to support the slurry walls in accordance with the design. Leighton is involved in both projects. The MTR claims that officers stationed at Hung Hom station five times discovered problems with the steel bars, but fewer than 20 of them were problematic. However, a lawmaker has quoted someone with inside knowledge as saying that as many as 5,000 steel bars, or 20% of the total, were shortened. It is difficult to ascertain the veracity of the claim. The most prudent thing to do is to carry out a large-scale inspection by cracking open the concrete and examining the steel bars one by one.

The government had ordered Leighton to submit a report no later than Tuesday (yesterday) to explain the shortened steel bars in Hung Hom station. Matthew Cheung, the Chief Secretary for Administration, had said that the Development Bureau would handle the matter "seriously" if the contractor did not hand in the report on time. Though Leighton did submit the report at last, those on the outside cannot possibly know whether the report will provide the full details of the incident or it will just be superficial and perfunctory. The government has only said that it will inspect the report in accordance with the mechanism and determine what to do next. It will examine the nature of the report and seek legal advice before deciding whether to make the report public.

Leighton has never given a public explanation of what has happened since problems with the Sha Tin-Central link came to light. Even the MTR has been irritated. Frederick Ma, chairman of the MTR, disclosed that the company once demanded Leighton make an explanation to the public but to no avail. When asked by a reporter whether the MTR was at its wits' end facing Leighton, Ma said candidly that he "agrees with such a view". China Technology Corporation Limited, a subcontractor, even claimed that someone cautioned them not to violate the confidentiality agreement signed with the contractor. When representatives of China Technology gave the MTR a testimony earlier, they were interrupted multiple times by someone warning them not to "overstep the limits imposed by the confidentiality agreement".

Founded in 1962, Leighton Asia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CIMIC Group, an Australian company. It ventured into construction in Asia in 1975. Facing such a multinational corporation, the SAR government and the MTR have been quite ineffectual. The MTR has failed to get Leighton to explain the matter. The way Leighton has dealt with the "shortened steel bars" incident and the problems facing Exhibition Centre station shows that it has little respect for the MTR.

Government officials have recently said that they will examine Leighton's report in detail and will take regulatory action if they are not happy with Leighton's explanation or think Leighton is to blame. The government says it will not rule out the possibility of barring Leighton from bidding for government projects or even revoking its license. But the public is doubtful whether the government will have the determination to be hard on Leighton.

禮頓非「大到不能碰」 政府切勿口硬手軟

沙中線紅磡站月台剪短鋼筋事件，政府在限期屆滿前，終於收到承建商禮頓建築（亞洲）的報告。政府表示，若有足夠資料，會考慮是否需要採取規管行動，不會不了了之。

沙中線工程問題接二連三，繼紅磡站「剪筋門」後，會展站挖掘工程又未依照圖則安裝工字鐵支撐連續牆，兩項工程均牽涉禮頓。港鐵表示，紅磡站駐地盤人員先後5次發現鋼筋有問題，短筋數量少於20多支，惟有議員引述消息指，剪短鋼筋可能多達5000支，相當於總數兩成。有關說法是耶非耶難以判斷，最穩妥的做法是大規模鑿開混凝土，逐一詳細檢驗。

政府要求禮頓最遲本周二（昨天）呈交報告，解釋紅磡站剪短鋼筋事件，政務司長張建宗表示，如果承建商不在限期前交報告，發展局會「嚴肅處理」。最終禮頓有依時提交報告，不過內容究竟是知無不言言無不盡，還是蜻蜓點水虛與委蛇，外界不得而知。政府僅表示盡快按機制程序審視報告，再決定下一步行動，至於是否公開資料，還須審視資料性質，徵詢法律意見後才決定。

沙中線工程問題曝光以來，禮頓從未公開交代，就連港鐵方面亦頗有微言。港鐵主席馬時亨透露，他們曾要求禮頓出來交代，可是不得要領。有記者問港鐵是否對禮頓「無符」，馬時亨直言「同意有關說法」。分判商中科興業更聲稱，有人「警告」他們不得違反與承建商簽署的保密協議，早前中科代表向港鐵作供，又有人多次以「超出保密協議條款」為由，打斷中科人員作供。

禮頓建築於1962年成立，是澳洲禮頓控股旗下的全資子公司，1975年起涉足亞洲建築工程業務。面對跨國大企業，特區政府和港鐵均顯得甚為窩囊。港鐵未能要求禮頓交代事件，禮頓在「剪筋門」和會展站問題的表現，亦不令人覺得對港鐵有足夠尊重。

近日政府官員表示會詳細審視禮頓的報告，若不滿意禮頓的解釋，又或認為禮頓有問題，將會採取規管行動，不排除暫停禮頓投標政府工程，甚或除牌，云云，然而當局是否有決心從嚴處理，公眾始終欠缺信心。