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The massive blaze engulfed seven apartment buildings and killed 168 people.
Former residents and relatives of the dead have been waiting for answers for months after the fire shattered the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which housed thousands of people in the suburban district of Tai Po.
In a statement on Wednesday, authorities said police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption charged the suspects with 25 counts. Money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion were also among the allegations. The Hong Kong fire engulfed an apartment complex undergoing renovation with bamboo scaffolding. The Hong Kong towers that burned were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh for renovations.
The two companies charged are the project consultancy firm and the main contractor involved in the project. In March, police said they arrested 38 people on accusations related to the complex, including manslaughter and fraud. About 30 people were still missing following the deadly high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong. The anti-graft agency said in the same month that they also arrested 23 people on suspicion of offences such as bribery and conspiracy to defraud.
Victor Dawes, a lawyer representing an independent committee conducting an ongoing inquiry into the fire’s cause, previously said almost all fire safety systems failed on the day of the blaze because of human error.
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