Two individuals from the construction industry and a structural engineer failed to attend a meeting on Monday with a City University of Hong Kong investigative team examining the May 20 roof collapse . The trio were invited to assist with the investigation, according to City University Chief-of-Staff Paul Lam Kwan-sing.

A 35 x 40 metre roof collapsed at around 2:30pm at the Hu Fa Kuang Sports Centre building last Friday. The university set up a three-member team to look into the incident on the same day. The team included Lam, Vice-President (Administration) Sunny Lee Wai-kwong and Vice-President (Students Affairs) Professor Horace Ip Ho-shing.

The collapsed rooftop. Photo: Apple Daily.

Sam Mak Kang-hoi of Sinoway Construction Engineering Limited, surveyor Kenneth Chan Jor-kin and structural engineer Tsang Yin -sang were invited to meet the team on Monday. Sinoway Construction Engineering was the company which completed the works on the green roof. Previously, Chan clashed with City University over whether he had authorised the project, to which he said that he did not.

‘Damaged reputation’

Tsang previously told Commercial Radio that he would attend the meeting even though he was not involved. However, he later told RTHK on Sunday that he would not attend since he was not involved in the construction and the invitation damaged his reputation.

Tsang told Ming Pao that City University presented documents showing that he had been involved in the construction of a water tank, but he said that the water tank belonged to the Academic 1 building, and not Hu Fa Kuang Sports Centre.

He said that “City University looked at the wrong document,” and hoped that the university would clarify that he had no relationship with the green roof project. He told Ming Pao that “I am now giving them a way out, to clarify,” and said that he may pursue further action if the university refuses.