A former employee of the piling contractor for a Housing Department (HD) construction project at Tung Chung Area 30 Phase 1, charged by the ICAC for his alleged involvement in substandard foundation works, appeared in Tsuen Wan Court today (Friday).

Yeung Chung-lai, 36, former project engineer of Hsin Chong (Foundations) Limited (Hsin Chong), is now serving in the Civil Engineering Department. He faced one count of conspiracy to defraud HD.

No plea was taken. Magistrate Mr Andrew Ma adjourned the case until September 28, pending transfer to District Court.

The charge alleged that between September 23, 1997 and July 24, 1998, Yeung had conspired with Chan Shing, former senior rigger foreman of Hsin Chong, and other persons to defraud HD and its officers by dishonestly:

- not constructing a large diameter bored pile for the foundation works at Tung Chung Area 30 Phase 1 to the agreed

founding level;

- falsely representing that the bored pile was constructed to the agreed founding level; and

- causing HD to pay for work that had not been done or done as represented.

Chan was earlier charged with a similar offence, and sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment in March this year.

Yeung was granted cash bail of $10,000. He was ordered to surrender all travel documents, not to leave Hong Kong, and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Mike Chan.