Following the furore caused by the CY Leung luggage controversy, the Airport Authority (AAHK) has released a report and statement to categorically deny breaching any security protocols or granting special privileges to Hong Kong’s so-called First Family.
In a statement published by the government, a spokesperson for AAHK said airport security company AVSECO and the relevant airline, Cathay Pacific, had acted according to the security requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as well as Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)’s internal protocol.
“After [the bag’s] discovery in the departure hall, [it] passed explosive trace detection; the ownership of the baggage was verified before entering the […] restricted area, the baggage underwent security screening which met the [ICAO] requirement[s] before its return to the owner; and according to the requirements of […] the destination country of the flight, the cabin baggage was also security screened at the boarding gate before the owner boarded the aircraft.”
In its report, AAHK states that some 517 “courtesy deliveries” have been recorded at HKIA between March 2015 and March 2016, which include taking found property from landside (a.k.a. non-restricted areas) to restricted areas through security screening.
In addition, AAHK compiled a timeline of “bag-gate” from CCTV footage, while Cathay Pacific and AVSECO collaborated to produce a sequence of events compiled from various log books, reports, and interviews.
Earlier this month, it was reported that CY Leung had abused his position as chief executive to ensure airport and airline staff brought his youngest daughter Chung-yan’s luggage from the departure hall to her in the restricted area.
Leung has since denied pressuring anyone to do so, saying that he had merely called his daughter to say goodnight when he found out she had forgotten her bag.
Around 1,000-2,500 people participated in a sit-in at HKIA on April 18 to protest the allegations against Leung, accusing him and his family of breaching security protocol.
