Chief Executive John Lee on Thursday said he accepted the resignation of Winnie Ho as secretary for housing, saying she took political responsibility for last year's Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168 people.

At a press conference on Thursday, Lee and other principal officials also apologised and bowed.

"As chief executive and head of the government, I am deeply saddened. On behalf of the SAR government, I offer my apologies to the victims and the public at large," Lee said in his opening remarks.

He added that while Ho committed no personal wrongdoing, she must bear political responsibility as secretary for housing.

"I have taken various factors into account, including the specific roles played by officials, the connection between their policy portfolios and the incident, the nature of the issues involved, whether they pertain to policy or implementation, the performance of subordinates, and the significant workload that the political team must address moving forward," Lee said.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will serve as acting secretary for housing.



Edited by Aaron Tam