Five sentenced for fraud over concrete samples at HD housing project
2000-8-31
Five former technicians of a building material testing company, charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to defraud by producing false concrete samples relating to a Housing Department (HD) construction project in Tuen Mun, were sentenced at Tuen Mun Court.
The site involved was Tuen Mun Area 52 Phase 2, designated for the construction of seven public housing blocks.
The five defendants were Chan Hing-wah, 26; Jeremy Lee Wai-ki; Chris Chan Chi-hung and Lo Wing-hoi, all 25, and Choi Kim-kwan, 28.
Chan Hing-wah earlier pleaded guilty and was today fined $5,000.
The remaining defendants were found guilty yesterday after trial. Lee, Chan Chi-hung and Lo Wing-hoi were each fined $10,000, while Choi was fined $7,500.
Materialab Limited (Materialab) was appointed by HD to conduct tests on various building materials including the concrete used for the construction of walls and floor slabs of the superstructure. The use of concrete of inadequate strength could pose stru ctural safety to buildings.
The defendants were employed by Materialab to work full time at the site, and were tasked with collecting concrete samples for testing. The reports on the tests were sent to HD.
The court heard that the defendants had pre-cast a number of sample cubes for compression tests to avoid working overtime, without complying with the requirement of getting the samples from each set of 25 cubic meters of concrete used. They also falsifie d the records of these sample cubes.
The defendants were convicted of a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud Materialab by dishonestly representing that concrete sample cubes cast for testing by Materialab had been made in accordance with the required procedures between April and September 1999.
The case originated from an investigation into a corruption report alleging that the technicians had taken bribes from a contractor for not following proper procedures in collecting concrete samples for testing. The corruption allegation was found to be unsubstantiated.
According to subsequent compression tests carried out by HD, the strength of the concrete at the site was found to be up to standard.
An ICAC spokesman said the consequence of the fraud could be serious if the laboratory failed to detect the use of any substandard materials because of the misleading concrete samples.
The Commission is working with HD on various preventive measures, including those in relation to material testing, to ensure properly procedures are followed, the spokesman added.
The prosecution was represented by Richard Donald on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Raymond Yuen.
The site involved was Tuen Mun Area 52 Phase 2, designated for the construction of seven public housing blocks.
The five defendants were Chan Hing-wah, 26; Jeremy Lee Wai-ki; Chris Chan Chi-hung and Lo Wing-hoi, all 25, and Choi Kim-kwan, 28.
Chan Hing-wah earlier pleaded guilty and was today fined $5,000.
The remaining defendants were found guilty yesterday after trial. Lee, Chan Chi-hung and Lo Wing-hoi were each fined $10,000, while Choi was fined $7,500.
Materialab Limited (Materialab) was appointed by HD to conduct tests on various building materials including the concrete used for the construction of walls and floor slabs of the superstructure. The use of concrete of inadequate strength could pose stru ctural safety to buildings.
The defendants were employed by Materialab to work full time at the site, and were tasked with collecting concrete samples for testing. The reports on the tests were sent to HD.
The court heard that the defendants had pre-cast a number of sample cubes for compression tests to avoid working overtime, without complying with the requirement of getting the samples from each set of 25 cubic meters of concrete used. They also falsifie d the records of these sample cubes.
The defendants were convicted of a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud Materialab by dishonestly representing that concrete sample cubes cast for testing by Materialab had been made in accordance with the required procedures between April and September 1999.
The case originated from an investigation into a corruption report alleging that the technicians had taken bribes from a contractor for not following proper procedures in collecting concrete samples for testing. The corruption allegation was found to be unsubstantiated.
According to subsequent compression tests carried out by HD, the strength of the concrete at the site was found to be up to standard.
An ICAC spokesman said the consequence of the fraud could be serious if the laboratory failed to detect the use of any substandard materials because of the misleading concrete samples.
The Commission is working with HD on various preventive measures, including those in relation to material testing, to ensure properly procedures are followed, the spokesman added.
The prosecution was represented by Richard Donald on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Raymond Yuen.