Former site agent and foreman jailed for pumping station piling scam
2001-8-29
Two former staff members of a piling subcontractor were today (Wednesday) sent to jail at District Court for 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), received a jail sentence of three years and three months, while Mak King-fai, 26, former foreman of Hui Hon, was jailed for two years and three months.
Li and Mak were earlier found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Deputy Judge Ian Candy said immediate custodial sentences were imposed since the offence committed by the defendants was serious and had impaired the reputation of the construction industry and the government.
The judge added that he had taken into account the defendants' clear records in sentencing.
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), received a jail sentence of three years and three months, while Mak King-fai, 26, former foreman of Hui Hon, was jailed for two years and three months.
Li and Mak were earlier found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Deputy Judge Ian Candy said immediate custodial sentences were imposed since the offence committed by the defendants was serious and had impaired the reputation of the construction industry and the government.
The judge added that he had taken into account the defendants' clear records in sentencing.
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.