Housing Department Architect charged with bribery over Fanling and Tin Shui Wai projects
2001-6-18
An Architect of the Housing Department (HD) was today charged by the ICAC with bribery offences in relation to HD development projects in Fanling and Tin Shui Wai.
Barry Tang Hoi-on, 35, appeared at Eastern Court this afternoon on two counts of conspiracy to accept advantages, one of conspiracy to solicit advantages and another of conspiracy to offer advantages to a public servant.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Robert McNair adjourned the case to July 3, 2001, pending transfer to the District Court. The defendant was granted bail of $200,000 in cash, and was ordered not to leave Hong Kong, surrender his travel documents, report to the ICAC three times a week and not to contact prosecution witnesses directly or indirectly.
Tang was earlier arrested in an ICAC investigation into allegations that some HD staff had received advantages from contractors and sub-contractors for lax site supervision or to facilitate the award of works or supply of building materials.
Tang was accused of having conspired with subcontractors Chang Yu-lin and Chan Ka-ning to accept payment or discharge of liabilities for expenses incurred by Tang for meals, nightclub entertainment, hostess escort services, sauna baths and trips between A ugust 1997 and September 1998.
The advantages were said to be accepted for Tang to remain favourably disposed towards Asian Growing Engineering Ltd (AGE) so that he would use his position and influence to assist AGE in obtaining the award of subcontract works in relation to the HD deve lopment project at Fanling Area 49A Phase 2.
The architect was also alleged to have conspired with Chang Yu-lin to accept an advantage consisting of an amount equivalent to 5% of the total contract value of all subcontract works awarded to AGE for the same development project, about $1 million, for the same reason during the period.
Tang also faced one count of conspiring with Chan Shu-ming and Chan Ka-ning to solicit advantages in relation to the award of subcontracts for works carried out at the HD development projects at the same site and another site at Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phas e 7 between August 1998 and April 2001.
The alleged rewards were said to consist of amounts, which might be agreed to be paid by subcontractors for their being awarded the projects.
It was alleged that in return Tang would use his position and influence to cause certain materials, of which either Chan Shu-ming or Chan Ka-ning was an agent, to be used in the Fanling project.
The fourth charge alleged that the defendant had conspired with Chang Yu-lin to offer advantages to another HD Architect Tjong Kee-ming as rewards for Tjong to assist in obtaining the award of subcontracts for AGE for the Tin Shui Wai project between Augu st 1997 and September 1998.
The bribe was said to be equivalent to 3% of the total contract value of all subcontract works awarded to AGE in relation to the Tin Shui Wai project, which was about $600,000.
Tang and Tjong were earlier charged with a total of three bribery offences in a separate case in relation to the same investigation.
They were alleged of having conspired with others to accept advantages including meals, nightclub entertainment, hostess escort and prostitution services for giving favourable treatment to the staff of Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Ltd. (Paul Y) and Pent a-Ocean Construction Ltd.
They are awaiting trial for that case.
Barry Tang Hoi-on, 35, appeared at Eastern Court this afternoon on two counts of conspiracy to accept advantages, one of conspiracy to solicit advantages and another of conspiracy to offer advantages to a public servant.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Robert McNair adjourned the case to July 3, 2001, pending transfer to the District Court. The defendant was granted bail of $200,000 in cash, and was ordered not to leave Hong Kong, surrender his travel documents, report to the ICAC three times a week and not to contact prosecution witnesses directly or indirectly.
Tang was earlier arrested in an ICAC investigation into allegations that some HD staff had received advantages from contractors and sub-contractors for lax site supervision or to facilitate the award of works or supply of building materials.
Tang was accused of having conspired with subcontractors Chang Yu-lin and Chan Ka-ning to accept payment or discharge of liabilities for expenses incurred by Tang for meals, nightclub entertainment, hostess escort services, sauna baths and trips between A ugust 1997 and September 1998.
The advantages were said to be accepted for Tang to remain favourably disposed towards Asian Growing Engineering Ltd (AGE) so that he would use his position and influence to assist AGE in obtaining the award of subcontract works in relation to the HD deve lopment project at Fanling Area 49A Phase 2.
The architect was also alleged to have conspired with Chang Yu-lin to accept an advantage consisting of an amount equivalent to 5% of the total contract value of all subcontract works awarded to AGE for the same development project, about $1 million, for the same reason during the period.
Tang also faced one count of conspiring with Chan Shu-ming and Chan Ka-ning to solicit advantages in relation to the award of subcontracts for works carried out at the HD development projects at the same site and another site at Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phas e 7 between August 1998 and April 2001.
The alleged rewards were said to consist of amounts, which might be agreed to be paid by subcontractors for their being awarded the projects.
It was alleged that in return Tang would use his position and influence to cause certain materials, of which either Chan Shu-ming or Chan Ka-ning was an agent, to be used in the Fanling project.
The fourth charge alleged that the defendant had conspired with Chang Yu-lin to offer advantages to another HD Architect Tjong Kee-ming as rewards for Tjong to assist in obtaining the award of subcontracts for AGE for the Tin Shui Wai project between Augu st 1997 and September 1998.
The bribe was said to be equivalent to 3% of the total contract value of all subcontract works awarded to AGE in relation to the Tin Shui Wai project, which was about $600,000.
Tang and Tjong were earlier charged with a total of three bribery offences in a separate case in relation to the same investigation.
They were alleged of having conspired with others to accept advantages including meals, nightclub entertainment, hostess escort and prostitution services for giving favourable treatment to the staff of Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Ltd. (Paul Y) and Pent a-Ocean Construction Ltd.
They are awaiting trial for that case.