Three site staff charged over alleged piling scam at Tung Chung housing project
2000-7-12
Three employees of the piling contractor for a public housing construction project at Tung Chung Area 30, Phase 1 and 3, were charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to defraud the Housing Department in connection with alleged substandard foundation works.
This is the second prosecution in connection with substandard piling in public housing projects. Four persons were earlier charged over shortened piles at Tung Chung Area 30, Phase 4 and will face trial in September this year.
The defendants in this case are Chan Shing, 53 and Yeung Wing-keung, 47, both Senior Rigger Foremen of Hsin Chong (Foundations) Limited (Hsin Chong), and Lo Kam-fai, 53, Rigger Foreman of Hsin Chong.
They will appear at Tsuen Wan Court at 9:30 am tomorrow (Thursday) on a total of three charges of conspiracy to defraud the Housing Department between September 1997 and July 1998. They are currently on ICAC bail.
The project concerned the building of seven blocks of public housing and Home Ownership Scheme estates, comprising 3,677 units in total.
The defendants were alleged of conspiring with five other Hsin Chong staff, namely, Yeung Chung-lai, Ho Wai-kwong, Lau Wai-yin, Chung Ah-ngau and Chu Chi-kong, to construct bored piles at Tung Chung Area 30 Phase 1 and 3 not in accordance with the specifi cations required.
They were alleged to have falsely represented that certain large diameter bored piles were constructed to the proposed founding levels and caused the Housing Department to pay for work that had not been done as represented.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some Housing Department staff might have accepted bribes to cover up the scam.
So far, investigations did not reveal corruption involving Housing Department staff.
A total of 84 and 51 large-diameter bored piles had been built at Phase 1 and Phase 3 respectively. According to the building plans, each bored pile should measure from 30 meter to 50 meter in depth.
ICAC investigations revealed that 34 out of the 84 bored piles in Phase 1, and 15 out of the 51 bored piles in Phase 3, were not up to the prescribed depths.
The ICAC received full assistance from Hsin Chong and Housing Department throughout its investigation.
This is the second prosecution in connection with substandard piling in public housing projects. Four persons were earlier charged over shortened piles at Tung Chung Area 30, Phase 4 and will face trial in September this year.
The defendants in this case are Chan Shing, 53 and Yeung Wing-keung, 47, both Senior Rigger Foremen of Hsin Chong (Foundations) Limited (Hsin Chong), and Lo Kam-fai, 53, Rigger Foreman of Hsin Chong.
They will appear at Tsuen Wan Court at 9:30 am tomorrow (Thursday) on a total of three charges of conspiracy to defraud the Housing Department between September 1997 and July 1998. They are currently on ICAC bail.
The project concerned the building of seven blocks of public housing and Home Ownership Scheme estates, comprising 3,677 units in total.
The defendants were alleged of conspiring with five other Hsin Chong staff, namely, Yeung Chung-lai, Ho Wai-kwong, Lau Wai-yin, Chung Ah-ngau and Chu Chi-kong, to construct bored piles at Tung Chung Area 30 Phase 1 and 3 not in accordance with the specifi cations required.
They were alleged to have falsely represented that certain large diameter bored piles were constructed to the proposed founding levels and caused the Housing Department to pay for work that had not been done as represented.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some Housing Department staff might have accepted bribes to cover up the scam.
So far, investigations did not reveal corruption involving Housing Department staff.
A total of 84 and 51 large-diameter bored piles had been built at Phase 1 and Phase 3 respectively. According to the building plans, each bored pile should measure from 30 meter to 50 meter in depth.
ICAC investigations revealed that 34 out of the 84 bored piles in Phase 1, and 15 out of the 51 bored piles in Phase 3, were not up to the prescribed depths.
The ICAC received full assistance from Hsin Chong and Housing Department throughout its investigation.