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The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, today (November 23) issued a statement on his property on the Peak. The full statement and Annex have been uploaded to the website of the Chief Executive's Office (www.ceo.gov.hk/eng/links.html).
The Chief Executive said, "A news report in late June pointed out that unauthorised building works were found in my property on the Peak. I attach great importance to the matter and fully understand people's expectations of the Chief Executive. All along, I have been handling the matter in an open, transparent and serious manner. I fully co-operated with the Buildings Department in conducting inspections. I also appointed a professional team immediately to assist in clarifying and solving the problem.
"As the matter has entered into legal proceedings in the past few months, I have acted on legal advice not to make any comment during this period. I was therefore unable to give a timely response, much against my own wishes.
"Today, the relevant legal proceedings have been cleared. I immediately issued a written statement on the matter to give a full, complete and detailed account to the public. I hope it would clarify facts and address concerns of the community.
"As I purchased the property 13 years ago and I cannot rely solely on memory to provide a full account, I specially appointed a professional team. Based on their professional advice and available records, documents and photos, I have tried my best to give an objective and comprehensive explanation of the situation.
"If there are follow-up questions on my statement, I will, in a meticulous and responsible manner, provide supplementary responses in writing after seeking professional advice and conducting a thorough search of records.
"I hope this statement would help clear any misunderstanding on me and bring the matter to a close so that I could focus on discharging my duties."
Ends/Friday, November 23, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:06
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