Australia's Government continues to defend the indefensible, refusing to extradite two wanted men to Hong Kong. I have mentioned this case before. The Australian Government refuses to discuss why it blocked the court approved extradiction of these two men, with the Minister now showing how he caved into political pressure from, amongst others, the two men's boss. Even worse, these guys are now working in the piling industry in Australia. The SCMP:

Two men wanted in Hong Kong on bribery and corruption charges over a short piling scandal are both back at work - and with the same Brisbane-based construction company - after Australia's justice minister refused to surrender them for trial...Among the 74 submissions on the newly released case file are those made by Russell Caporn, managing director of Piling Contractors (Qld) Pty Ltd, the current employer of both Voigt and Hendy.

The two men are wanted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in connection with sub-standard foundations in a Tung Chung residential development in the late 1990s.

The ICAC probe into corruption within Hong Kong's building and construction industry offered a "shocking insight" into serious concerns about the safety of Hong Kong high-rises, according to court documents.

The inquiry revealed the "frightening" and "grave hazard that [the Tung Chung development] might collapse and cause loss of life and serious injury". The number of people placed at risk could run into the hundreds, it warned. It was also alleged the two engineers approved cash bribes and "sweeteners" including drinking sessions and sex tours to Macau to encourage site inspectors to turn a blind eye.

It is very hard to imagine the Australian public and politicians being so sanguine if the situation was reversed, and these men were in HK avoiding extradition.