French engineer cops manslaughter charge over megabridge accident

Wallis Wang

A 39-year-old French engineer was yesterday granted HK$100,000 bail after appearing in court on a manslaughter charge over an accident on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in 2017 that caused two deaths and three injuries.

Remi Pierre Brouillet, a Hong Kong identity card holder, was arrested at the airport upon returning on Tuesday.

He was charged with one count of manslaughter for unlawfully killing workers Gurung Anel and Onwuka Okomba Onwuka Uka on March 29, 2017.

Brouillet appeared before magistrate David Chum Yau-fong at a Sha Tin court accompanied by an interpreter. He was represented by lawyer Christopher Morley, who said Brouillet can speak fluent English and there is no need for an interpreter for the next hearing.

No plea was taken and Chum adjourned the case to January 3 , saying officers need time to investigate the case and contact witnesses.

Brouillet was prohibited from leaving and had to surrender his travel documents, live at his given address and report to police every week.

He was also forbidden from contacting witnesses.

The prosecution had wanted him to surrender his Hong Kong ID card but withdrew the request after Chum said he can't leave Hong Kong with it.

The incident saw a temporary construction platform collapse into the sea, killing Nepali Anel, 22, and Nigerian Onwuka Uka, 40.

The police said the accident was caused by serious negligence but Brouillet left after the incident happened and was on the wanted list since then.

Three main contractors - Dragages Hong Kong, China Harbour Engineering and VSL Hong Kong - pleaded guilty to 27 breaches of occupational safety and were fined HK$264,000, HK$214,000 and HK$136,000 in February 2019.

In August 2020, subcontractors WSS Engineering Systems and United Construction & Manpower Service were convicted of failing to ensure the safety and health of employees and were fined HK$30,000 each.