HD Architects jailed for accepting advantages from main contractors
2001-7-30
Two Architects of the Housing Department (HD) were respectively jailed for two years and two and a half years at District Court today (Monday) for conspiracy to accept advantages.
The advantages, including meals, nightclub entertainment, and hostess escort services, were in exchange for favourable treatment to main contractors of two HD housing projects in Fanling and Tin Shui Wai.
Barry Tang Hoi-on, 35 , received a two-year jail term, while Tjong Kee-ming, 37, was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years' imprisonment.
Tang and Tjong were today found guilty on three counts of conspiring to accept advantages from Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Ltd. (Paul Y) and Penta-Ocean Construction Ltd. (Penta-Ocean), contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance .
Paul Y was the main contractor of the HD housing projects at Fanling Area 49A Phase 2 and Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phase 5, while Penta-Ocean was the main contractor of the project at Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phase 7.
In sentencing, Judge Wright said: "The hidden cancer of the implicit understanding, the unspoken arrangement, is precisely the danger against which there need be vigilance."
"It may or may not be that the structural integrity of the construction has not been compromised: certainly the integrity of the two accused has been."
"It must be that a very real consideration in imposing such a sentence is the deterrent effect that it will have –'96 not solely on the person being sentenced but upon other public servants who may tend to yield to temptation", the judge said.
"The public should be confident that those who are employed about its affairs are trustworthy, whilst those who would depart this standard should know that the consequence will be imprisonment," the judge commented.
The court heard that Tang had conspired with Paul Y site agent Gary Tam Siu-ki and others to accept advantages as rewards for remaining favourably disposed towards Tam and other staff members of Paul Y.
Tjong was found guilty of a similar offence.
The court also heard that Tjong had further conspired with Penta-Ocean senior construction manager Wilson Chu Ka-hung and others to accept advantages for the same reason.
The offences took place between December 1998 and August last year.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Tang was charged with four bribery offences in relation to the award of subcontracts for works carried out at the two HD housing projects.
He is due to appear at District Court for plea on August 14.
The prosecution was today represented by Chris Coghlan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Mike Chan.
The advantages, including meals, nightclub entertainment, and hostess escort services, were in exchange for favourable treatment to main contractors of two HD housing projects in Fanling and Tin Shui Wai.
Barry Tang Hoi-on, 35 , received a two-year jail term, while Tjong Kee-ming, 37, was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years' imprisonment.
Tang and Tjong were today found guilty on three counts of conspiring to accept advantages from Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Ltd. (Paul Y) and Penta-Ocean Construction Ltd. (Penta-Ocean), contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance .
Paul Y was the main contractor of the HD housing projects at Fanling Area 49A Phase 2 and Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phase 5, while Penta-Ocean was the main contractor of the project at Tin Shui Wai Area 102 Phase 7.
In sentencing, Judge Wright said: "The hidden cancer of the implicit understanding, the unspoken arrangement, is precisely the danger against which there need be vigilance."
"It may or may not be that the structural integrity of the construction has not been compromised: certainly the integrity of the two accused has been."
"It must be that a very real consideration in imposing such a sentence is the deterrent effect that it will have –'96 not solely on the person being sentenced but upon other public servants who may tend to yield to temptation", the judge said.
"The public should be confident that those who are employed about its affairs are trustworthy, whilst those who would depart this standard should know that the consequence will be imprisonment," the judge commented.
The court heard that Tang had conspired with Paul Y site agent Gary Tam Siu-ki and others to accept advantages as rewards for remaining favourably disposed towards Tam and other staff members of Paul Y.
Tjong was found guilty of a similar offence.
The court also heard that Tjong had further conspired with Penta-Ocean senior construction manager Wilson Chu Ka-hung and others to accept advantages for the same reason.
The offences took place between December 1998 and August last year.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Tang was charged with four bribery offences in relation to the award of subcontracts for works carried out at the two HD housing projects.
He is due to appear at District Court for plea on August 14.
The prosecution was today represented by Chris Coghlan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Mike Chan.