Hong Kong councillor suspended as misconduct guidelines used for first time
Tuen Mun District Council member Kenneth Yip pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in May over a head-on collision with a taxi
A Hong Kong district councillor has been suspended for a week after being convicted of dangerous driving, the first member to be penalised since the government introduced performance guidelines in 2023.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Tuesday that Tuen Mun District Council member Kenneth Yip Kat-kong would be suspended for one week after an investigation found that his actions constituted misconduct.
She said a five-member supervisory committee had concluded that his conviction for dangerous driving constituted misconduct after considering the evidence, the negative impact of the incident on district councils and their members, and the government’s reputation and credibility.
During the week-long suspension from his duties, Yip will not receive any pay or allowances.
Mak appointed the committee to investigate the alleged misconduct in July. The panel comprised Li Tak-hong, a former Wong Tai Sin District Council chairman, and four serving councillors.
They were Luparker Wong Shuk-fan of Tsuen Wan, Ng King-wah of Kwai Tsing, Janus Lau Yuen-yee of Wong Tai Sin and Lau Kar-wah of Kwun Tong.
Yip was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and had his licence suspended for six months in May after pleading guilty to dangerous driving over a head-on collision with a taxi in Sheung Shui in August last year.