ICAC arrests 20 for alleged corruption causing substandard piling at Tin Chung Court
2001-2-22
Over the past three days, the ICAC has arrested 20 persons for their alleged involvement in substandard piling works at two housing blocks of Tin Chung Court, a Housing Department (HD) Home Ownership Scheme project in Tin Shui Wai, suspected to be facilit ated by corruption.
The substandard piling had caused excessive tilting of one of the six HOS blocks.
The arrestees included five resident site staff members of the architectural consultant appointed by HD - a project structural engineer, a resident engineer, an assistant clerk of works and two work supervisors.
Also amongst the arrested were two directors of the piling contractor and nine of the company’s staff - a contracts manager, two quality control engineers, a site agent, three pile designers, a registered structural engineer and a foreman as well as a piling subcontractor who provided labour for piling works.
A Senior Structural Engineer and a Structural Engineer of HD who were responsible for supervising the consultant in relation to this project, and an engineer of the geo-technical sub-consultant were also arrested in the operation.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint referred by the HD relating to the substandard piling works at Tin Chung Court.
The complaint alleged that corruption might be involved in covering up the scam as the substandard piling, which had caused excessive tilting of one of the HOS blocks, was not detected until after the superstructure was constructed.
According to the piling contract, precast prestressed concrete piles were to be installed to support the six housing blocks. Such piles should be driven to such a depth that engineering criteria specified in the contract could be fulfilled.
The HD-appointed architectural consultant was to approve the piling design and supervise the workmanship of the piling contractor.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the arrested staff of the piling contractor might have fraudulently manipulated the pile design calculations in respect of two of the blocks.
The falsified data were used to mislead the architectural consultant into believing that the designed pile length would be sufficient to meet the specified engineering criteria.
Enquiries also revealed that the reported piling records on the lengths of the piles driven might have been falsified.
Physical examinations on some of the piles installed revealed that a number of them were shorter by at least one metre.
Investigations also revealed some of the resident site staff of the architectural consultant had allegedly received free entertainment from the piling contractor, including lavish meals and visits to nightclub.
In return, they allegedly exercised lax supervision of the project, including waiving calibration requirement on measuring meter for pile loading test.
The ICAC has received full co-operation from the Housing Department and the Housing Authority during its investigation.
The 20 arrestees have been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.
The substandard piling had caused excessive tilting of one of the six HOS blocks.
The arrestees included five resident site staff members of the architectural consultant appointed by HD - a project structural engineer, a resident engineer, an assistant clerk of works and two work supervisors.
Also amongst the arrested were two directors of the piling contractor and nine of the company’s staff - a contracts manager, two quality control engineers, a site agent, three pile designers, a registered structural engineer and a foreman as well as a piling subcontractor who provided labour for piling works.
A Senior Structural Engineer and a Structural Engineer of HD who were responsible for supervising the consultant in relation to this project, and an engineer of the geo-technical sub-consultant were also arrested in the operation.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint referred by the HD relating to the substandard piling works at Tin Chung Court.
The complaint alleged that corruption might be involved in covering up the scam as the substandard piling, which had caused excessive tilting of one of the HOS blocks, was not detected until after the superstructure was constructed.
According to the piling contract, precast prestressed concrete piles were to be installed to support the six housing blocks. Such piles should be driven to such a depth that engineering criteria specified in the contract could be fulfilled.
The HD-appointed architectural consultant was to approve the piling design and supervise the workmanship of the piling contractor.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the arrested staff of the piling contractor might have fraudulently manipulated the pile design calculations in respect of two of the blocks.
The falsified data were used to mislead the architectural consultant into believing that the designed pile length would be sufficient to meet the specified engineering criteria.
Enquiries also revealed that the reported piling records on the lengths of the piles driven might have been falsified.
Physical examinations on some of the piles installed revealed that a number of them were shorter by at least one metre.
Investigations also revealed some of the resident site staff of the architectural consultant had allegedly received free entertainment from the piling contractor, including lavish meals and visits to nightclub.
In return, they allegedly exercised lax supervision of the project, including waiving calibration requirement on measuring meter for pile loading test.
The ICAC has received full co-operation from the Housing Department and the Housing Authority during its investigation.
The 20 arrestees have been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.