Piling contractor allegedly involved in Airport Station construction scam arrested in New York
2000-5-26
A proprietor of an engineering contractor, wanted by the ICAC for his alleged involvement in the Airport Railway Hong Kong Station substandard piling bribery scam, was arrested this (Friday) evening Hong Kong time by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in New York, United States.
Hui Wai-chung, 38, proprietor of On Foundation Engineering Company (On Foundation), was arrested at his New York residence this evening Hong Kong time. He will be detained, pending extradition proceedings.
On Foundation was a piling contractor of the Airport Railway Hong Kong Station Northern Site (Northern Site) project. The contract value for the bored pile works amounted to over $100 million.
Hui had allegedly instructed a number of persons to construct substandard bored piles at the Northern Site and offered bribes to an engineer to facilitate the scam.
Hui left Hong Kong before the ICAC investigation commenced. A warrant for Hui ’ s arrest was issued by the court in Hong Kong in August 1999. The Department of Justice later sent a letter of request, on behalf of the ICAC, to the FBI for the arrest of Hui in US.
Hui will face one charge of conspiracy to defraud and one of bribery upon his return to Hong Kong.
The charges alleged Hui of conspiring with shareholder of Pak Kee Transportation Company Limited Shek Kwok-wing, On Foundation
superintendent Ng Chun-hing, engineer Kwok Chi-hung, foreman Leung
Yee-tai and So Bor-shun, project manager of B+B Construction Company
Limited Tam Tung-kee, engineer Wong Ka-wing and Cheng Siu-ming and others to defraud the developer and contractors of Northern Site, namely, Central Waterfront Property Development Limited, Aoki Corporation and Bachy Soletanche Group Limited, over the fou ndation works of Northern Site between May and November 1997.
It was later revealed that of the 87 bored piles constructed by On Foundation, 83 were one meter to 15 meters shorter than the prescribed length. Substantial reconstruction of the foundation, which ran into millions of dollars, had to be carried out subs equently.
Hui was also accused of offering $50,000 in bribes to Wong Ka-wing in November 1997.
ICAC Chief Investigator Ricky Chu was in New York, assisting FBI officers in connection with the arrest.
Apart from Hui, 12 other people, including three engineers, one project manager, two foremen, a superintendent and a transportation company shareholder had been prosecuted in the piling scam, and all were convicted. They received prison terms ranging fro m one year to three years and eight months.
An industrial diver, a surveyor and two other subcontractors, charged in the same investigation, were also jailed.
Hui Wai-chung, 38, proprietor of On Foundation Engineering Company (On Foundation), was arrested at his New York residence this evening Hong Kong time. He will be detained, pending extradition proceedings.
On Foundation was a piling contractor of the Airport Railway Hong Kong Station Northern Site (Northern Site) project. The contract value for the bored pile works amounted to over $100 million.
Hui had allegedly instructed a number of persons to construct substandard bored piles at the Northern Site and offered bribes to an engineer to facilitate the scam.
Hui left Hong Kong before the ICAC investigation commenced. A warrant for Hui ’ s arrest was issued by the court in Hong Kong in August 1999. The Department of Justice later sent a letter of request, on behalf of the ICAC, to the FBI for the arrest of Hui in US.
Hui will face one charge of conspiracy to defraud and one of bribery upon his return to Hong Kong.
The charges alleged Hui of conspiring with shareholder of Pak Kee Transportation Company Limited Shek Kwok-wing, On Foundation
superintendent Ng Chun-hing, engineer Kwok Chi-hung, foreman Leung
Yee-tai and So Bor-shun, project manager of B+B Construction Company
Limited Tam Tung-kee, engineer Wong Ka-wing and Cheng Siu-ming and others to defraud the developer and contractors of Northern Site, namely, Central Waterfront Property Development Limited, Aoki Corporation and Bachy Soletanche Group Limited, over the fou ndation works of Northern Site between May and November 1997.
It was later revealed that of the 87 bored piles constructed by On Foundation, 83 were one meter to 15 meters shorter than the prescribed length. Substantial reconstruction of the foundation, which ran into millions of dollars, had to be carried out subs equently.
Hui was also accused of offering $50,000 in bribes to Wong Ka-wing in November 1997.
ICAC Chief Investigator Ricky Chu was in New York, assisting FBI officers in connection with the arrest.
Apart from Hui, 12 other people, including three engineers, one project manager, two foremen, a superintendent and a transportation company shareholder had been prosecuted in the piling scam, and all were convicted. They received prison terms ranging fro m one year to three years and eight months.
An industrial diver, a surveyor and two other subcontractors, charged in the same investigation, were also jailed.