Former site agent and foreman guilty of pumping station piling scam
2001-8-1
Two former staff members of a piling subcontractor were today (Wednesday) convicted at District Court of conspiracy to construct shortened piles at a construction site for a pumping station in Central.
Li Wai-hang, 45, former site agent of Hui Hon Foundations Limited (Hui Hon), and Mak King-fai, 26, former foreman of Hui Hon, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Deputy Judge Ian Candy adjourned sentencing until August 29, pending background reports, and remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The pumping station was part of the Central and Wan Chai East Pumping Stations and Screening Plants, a project of the Drainage Services Department (DSD).
The project was awarded to Guangdong Water Conservancy & Hydro Power Engineering Development Company Limited (Guangdong Water) in October 1996.
Maunsell Consultants Asia Limited (Maunsell) was appointed to design and oversee the project, while Hui Hon was subcontracted the piling works at the site of the pumping station.
The court heard that Li and Mak had conspired with another former Hui Hon foreman So Pang-ngan and others to defraud Maunsell, Guangdong Water and DSD between May 1997 and January 1998.
They had falsely represented that a number of secant bored piles had been constructed in accordance with the layout plan, and submitted four applications to DSD for payments.
According to the building plan, each bored pile should measure 40 metres in length. ICAC investigations revealed that seven of the 29 piles constructed by the subcontractor were 3.36 to 14.52 metres shorter than the required lengths.
DSD subsequently issued interim payments to Hui Hon for the seven shortened piles. Part of the payments, amounting to $970,689.05, were issued in relation to 58.82 metres of piles that had never been constructed.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Po-wing on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Tony Chan.
Li Wai-hang, 45, former site agent of Hui Hon Foundations Limited (Hui Hon), and Mak King-fai, 26, former foreman of Hui Hon, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Deputy Judge Ian Candy adjourned sentencing until August 29, pending background reports, and remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The pumping station was part of the Central and Wan Chai East Pumping Stations and Screening Plants, a project of the Drainage Services Department (DSD).
The project was awarded to Guangdong Water Conservancy & Hydro Power Engineering Development Company Limited (Guangdong Water) in October 1996.
Maunsell Consultants Asia Limited (Maunsell) was appointed to design and oversee the project, while Hui Hon was subcontracted the piling works at the site of the pumping station.
The court heard that Li and Mak had conspired with another former Hui Hon foreman So Pang-ngan and others to defraud Maunsell, Guangdong Water and DSD between May 1997 and January 1998.
They had falsely represented that a number of secant bored piles had been constructed in accordance with the layout plan, and submitted four applications to DSD for payments.
According to the building plan, each bored pile should measure 40 metres in length. ICAC investigations revealed that seven of the 29 piles constructed by the subcontractor were 3.36 to 14.52 metres shorter than the required lengths.
DSD subsequently issued interim payments to Hui Hon for the seven shortened piles. Part of the payments, amounting to $970,689.05, were issued in relation to 58.82 metres of piles that had never been constructed.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Po-wing on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Tony Chan.