Overview
- Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Wednesday charged seven individuals and two companies with 25 offences, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion.
- Investigators say the fire that killed 168 on November 26, 2025 spread rapidly after builders used non‑fire‑retardant scaffolding netting and foam boards and fire alarms on seven of eight blocks were deactivated.
- The two firms named in charges are Will Power Architects, the project consultancy, and Prestige Construction and Engineering, the main contractor, and several company directors and a registered inspector face individual counts.
- Defendants appeared at West Kowloon Court on June 10, one director was released on bail with the cases adjourned to September 2, and court papers publicly listed the 168 victims for the first time.
- Authorities say the prosecutions follow a large joint police‑ICAC investigation into alleged tender manipulation, concealment of prior litigation and false inspection claims, and further arrests or charges are possible as inquiries continue.