Duo arrested for alleged bribery over HK$500,000 wage theft involving imported labour at MTRC project
2001-7-6
The ICAC has arrested two senior executives of a French-Hong Kong joint venture company for an alleged corruption-facilitated wage theft involving imported labour at the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) Tseung Kwan O extension project.
Arrested in an ICAC operation on Wednesday were a French project manager and an accounting manager of the joint venture company contracted for the tunnelling of the extension project.
The extension project involves four tunnels. The joint venture company is contracted to construct one of the tunnels linking Yau Tong station and Tiu Keng Leng station.
It was alleged that the arrested persons had stolen in excess of HK$500,000, being balances of salaries from at least nine Filipino workers.
The investigation originated from a corruption complaint alleging that the project manager might have offered advantages to the accounting manager as rewards for the latter's assistance in stealing the wages of imported labourers.
ICAC enquiries revealed that last year, the joint venture company recruited skilled workers from the Philippines.
The imported labourers, employed either as operators or mechanics, were paid a monthly salary ranging from about HK$23,600 to about HK$26,000, between July last year and April this year.
It was agreed that the workers received HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 of their salaries in Hong Kong, while the balances of their wages were to be remitted to their families' accounts with a bank in the Philippines.
On the pretext of expediting remittances to their families in the Philippines, the arrested pair had allegedly requested each worker to open a US dollar savings account with a Philippine bank in Hong Kong, through which wages were remitted to the Philippi nes.
On request, each worker also allegedly signed blank withdrawal slips, and authorisations to withdraw money from the Philippine bank accounts.
Enquiries revealed that the arrested project manager had allegedly withdrawn in US dollars of over HK$500,000, believed to be part of the salary balances, from the accounts of the workers in the Philippines, during two visits to the country in February an d April this year.
Enquiries into the corruption allegation are continuing.
The two arrestees have been released on bail.
Arrested in an ICAC operation on Wednesday were a French project manager and an accounting manager of the joint venture company contracted for the tunnelling of the extension project.
The extension project involves four tunnels. The joint venture company is contracted to construct one of the tunnels linking Yau Tong station and Tiu Keng Leng station.
It was alleged that the arrested persons had stolen in excess of HK$500,000, being balances of salaries from at least nine Filipino workers.
The investigation originated from a corruption complaint alleging that the project manager might have offered advantages to the accounting manager as rewards for the latter's assistance in stealing the wages of imported labourers.
ICAC enquiries revealed that last year, the joint venture company recruited skilled workers from the Philippines.
The imported labourers, employed either as operators or mechanics, were paid a monthly salary ranging from about HK$23,600 to about HK$26,000, between July last year and April this year.
It was agreed that the workers received HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 of their salaries in Hong Kong, while the balances of their wages were to be remitted to their families' accounts with a bank in the Philippines.
On the pretext of expediting remittances to their families in the Philippines, the arrested pair had allegedly requested each worker to open a US dollar savings account with a Philippine bank in Hong Kong, through which wages were remitted to the Philippi nes.
On request, each worker also allegedly signed blank withdrawal slips, and authorisations to withdraw money from the Philippine bank accounts.
Enquiries revealed that the arrested project manager had allegedly withdrawn in US dollars of over HK$500,000, believed to be part of the salary balances, from the accounts of the workers in the Philippines, during two visits to the country in February an d April this year.
Enquiries into the corruption allegation are continuing.
The two arrestees have been released on bail.