I'm currently serving notice period in my current company and will be joining a new company in some time (a little over a month). So naturally my current company is looking for a replacement, and I was asked to conduct a technical round before our director meets and finalizes a candidate. I have worked for the company for a couple of years now, and don't want my/any projects to fail. I really hope they succeed with as little overhead as possible. Hence, I would really like to get someone settled in my position before leaving.
Recently, I met a candidate who is highly supported by our HR and looked good on paper but didn't answer most of my questions well. Hence, I didn't find the person suitable for the job. Having said that, my last day at work is approaching and we haven't found a replacement for my position yet. So, my question is "Will me speaking badly about a 'highly desired' candidate be viewed as me being disloyal, damaging, etc in any way to the company?"
I have had no issues with any of my colleagues, managers, etc including the said HR and I'd like to keep it that way if possible.
Side notes: As far as I know, my technical round is final, but our director also has exposure to the technical aspects and may ask some questions of his own (which kind of adds to my worry, as if he found I passed an unsuitable candidate, I may lose his trust).
FYI, even though I framed the question like I'm currently in the situation, I was short on time and had to give my answer yesterday evening. I rejected the candidate, citing some of the 'shaky' responses they gave (which clearly didn't convince our HR who seems upset), but I would like to be prepared and act more cautiously in similar situations in the future. I don't know how else I could handle it better.