There was widespread suspicion among members of the public that job offer was a quid pro quo for the favours he allegedly granted to its parent company, New World Development (NWD), in 2004.
[2] The sale of the Hung Hom Peninsula HOS housing estate to NWD took place at less than half of the original asking price.
In this regard, the Administration takes into account the following factors – Directorate officers wishing to take up outside work, paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, during their final leave period before their formal departure from the Government and/or within a specified control period counting from the said departure, should apply for prior permission from the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS) in accordance with detailed arrangements set out in CSB Circular No.
[6] According to procedures drawn up, civil servants of Leung's grade are subject to a 12-month 'sterilisation period' and required government approval to take up private sector posts within three years of leaving.
Controversies surrounded not only the suspicions of Leung's own conflict of interest, but also of the insensitivity of the committee which recommended the approval for him to take up his new job with a HK$3.12 million pay packet, plus bonus, so soon after his retirement.
"[8] Senior Non-Expatriate Officers Association chairman Poon Wai-ming argued that the controversy arose from a lack of strict enforcement of the procedures, and not their inadequacies.
[15] New World Development announced in the early hours of 16 August that Leung had resigned from his post, and would not be seeking compensation from the government, for its "inappropriate handling".
[16] Leung professed his "shock" to learn that officials had not considered his role in the Hung Hom Peninsula sale, and tendered his resignation.
Tsang ordered a committee, of which Yue was to be a member, to be set up to perform a sweeping review of the system to process applications for former civil servants.
[21] In an op-ed, Christopher Cheung states that Leung was quickly sentenced by the court of public opinion, and was "dangerously close to mob rule".