A senior maintenance surveyor for Hong Kong's Housing Bureau, Andy Ku Siu-ping, testified at a public inquiry that government inspectors did not anticipate engineering firms deceiving authorities regarding substandard materials used in the renovation of Wang Fuk Court. Ku, a member of the Independent Checking Unit, attributed the failure to rectify the use of flammable polyfoam boards and scaffolding mesh, part of a HK$336 million project, to "systemic defects." He stated that the unit, responsible for overseeing subsidized housing construction, has since implemented remedial measures, including more frequent site checks and enhanced reporting systems. The inquiry is investigating the Tai Po estate fire, which occurred on November 26, 2026, lasted 43 hours, resulted in 168 fatalities, and displaced nearly 5,000 residents, engulfing seven of the eight blocks in the residential complex.