Calls for probe after Hong Kong official posts about alleged ferry, hotel perks

The head of Hong Kong’s Tianjin liaison office has posted online about his alleged acceptance of perks, including a private ferry cabin and a five-star hotel suite upgrade, prompting calls for an investigation into a potential conflict of interest.Authorities said on Wednesday that the hotel upgrade costs did not involve public funds, adding that an investigation into the private ferry cabin incident was under way. They also vowed to take serious action if any violations were discovered.Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, director of the government’s Tianjin-liaison-unit" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="15537" data-entity-type="organization">Tianjin Liaison Unit under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, was found sharing on social media platform Threads photos and selfies showcasing such offers.Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, on Tuesday described Cheng’s alleged behaviour as “highly indiscreet” and urged the Civil Service Bureau to look into the matter.While the online posts were no longer available, screenshots that appeared to show Cheng’s posts indicated he had thanked a senior executive at the city’s leading high-speed ferry operator, TurboJet, for arranging a private cabin for his journey between Hong Kong and Macau.One image showed Cheng in a spacious cabin furnished with sofas and a television.