Contractor and engineer found guilty in Yuen Long plant substandard piling case
2000-10-26
A main contractor and a resident engineer were found guilty at District Court today (Thursday) of defrauding the developer of an industrial plant in Yuen Long by carrying out substandard foundation works at the site.
The $36 million construction project at the Yuen Long Industrial Estate. comprising a two-storey office building, a warehouse and a silo tower, was developed by Eastern Pretech (Hong Kong) Limited (Eastern Pretech).
Yeung Wai-keung, 31, director of Allied Dragon Engineering Company Limited (Allied Dragon), and Yu Tai-chi, 42, director of Geo Con Engineers (Geo Con), were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
They were convicted of having conspired with proprietor of Complete Engineering Wong Yuk-kui to defraud Eastern Pretech, by dishonestly not constructing the pre-bored piles in accordance with the plan approved by Buildings Department (BD), between Februar y and September, 1998.
As a result, Eastern Pretech was caused to assess, approve and pay for substandard piling works.
Judge Peter Line adjourned the case to tomorrow for sentence, and remanded them in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The ICAC investigation stemmed from a complaint alleging that the main contractor had offered bribes to a resident engineer for covering up sub-standard piling works.
Allied Dragon was the project's main contractor while the piling work, worth about $4.9 million, was sub-contracted to Complete Engineering Company (Complete Engineering) at a cost of $2 million. The piling was further subcontracted to Rich Wing Engineer ing Transportation Company (Rich Wing).
Geo Con was appointed a consultant overseeing the piling works.
The court heard that according to the building plan approved by BD, 17 bored piles, each measuring about 40 metres, should be constructed into the bedrock beneath the 38.6 metre high silor tower.
However, Yeung and subcontractor Wong Yuk-kui had agreed to use mainly driven piling to save costs.
Such driven piles subsequently constructed at the site, shorter than the prescribed length, were not embedded into the bedrock.
Yu, being fully aware of BD's requirements, had turned a blind eye to the non-compliance, and assisted Yeung to prepare false piling reports for submission to the Department.
Eastern Pretech subsequently awarded $4,962,570 to Allied Dragon for the foundation works, which in fact had not been carried out in compliance with the building plan.
Yeung alone was further convicted of five counts of using false reports on plate loading tests and one of falsifying invoices.
The court earlier issued a warrant for the arrest of Wong Yuk-kui, who failed to turn up in court in June this year to face charges in connection with this scam.
The judge today also ordered the forfeiture of his $100,000 bail money.
The prosecution was today represented by John McLanachan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Gary Wong.
The $36 million construction project at the Yuen Long Industrial Estate. comprising a two-storey office building, a warehouse and a silo tower, was developed by Eastern Pretech (Hong Kong) Limited (Eastern Pretech).
Yeung Wai-keung, 31, director of Allied Dragon Engineering Company Limited (Allied Dragon), and Yu Tai-chi, 42, director of Geo Con Engineers (Geo Con), were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
They were convicted of having conspired with proprietor of Complete Engineering Wong Yuk-kui to defraud Eastern Pretech, by dishonestly not constructing the pre-bored piles in accordance with the plan approved by Buildings Department (BD), between Februar y and September, 1998.
As a result, Eastern Pretech was caused to assess, approve and pay for substandard piling works.
Judge Peter Line adjourned the case to tomorrow for sentence, and remanded them in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The ICAC investigation stemmed from a complaint alleging that the main contractor had offered bribes to a resident engineer for covering up sub-standard piling works.
Allied Dragon was the project's main contractor while the piling work, worth about $4.9 million, was sub-contracted to Complete Engineering Company (Complete Engineering) at a cost of $2 million. The piling was further subcontracted to Rich Wing Engineer ing Transportation Company (Rich Wing).
Geo Con was appointed a consultant overseeing the piling works.
The court heard that according to the building plan approved by BD, 17 bored piles, each measuring about 40 metres, should be constructed into the bedrock beneath the 38.6 metre high silor tower.
However, Yeung and subcontractor Wong Yuk-kui had agreed to use mainly driven piling to save costs.
Such driven piles subsequently constructed at the site, shorter than the prescribed length, were not embedded into the bedrock.
Yu, being fully aware of BD's requirements, had turned a blind eye to the non-compliance, and assisted Yeung to prepare false piling reports for submission to the Department.
Eastern Pretech subsequently awarded $4,962,570 to Allied Dragon for the foundation works, which in fact had not been carried out in compliance with the building plan.
Yeung alone was further convicted of five counts of using false reports on plate loading tests and one of falsifying invoices.
The court earlier issued a warrant for the arrest of Wong Yuk-kui, who failed to turn up in court in June this year to face charges in connection with this scam.
The judge today also ordered the forfeiture of his $100,000 bail money.
The prosecution was today represented by John McLanachan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Gary Wong.