Former manager admits forgery to cover up non-compliant steel bars at Yuen Chau Kok HOS project
2001-11-12
A former manager of a steel supplier today (Monday) admitted at Shatin Court that he had conspired to forge a weighing docket to cover up the failure to remove non-compliant steel bars from the construction site of a Housing Authority (HA) Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) project in Yuen Chau Kok, Shatin.
Magistrate Mr Frankie Yiu adjourned sentencing Li Chun-tat, 43, formerly employed by Long & Wide Development Limited (Long & Wide), until November 28, pending a background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Dep artment.
The court heard that Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Limited (Paul Y) was appointed by HA as the contractor for the superstructure construction of the project.
On October 26, 1999, Long & Wide supplied steel bars of three different sizes, including Y12 steel bars, to the site.
On November 3, 1999, an HA-appointed laboratory conducted tests on Y12 steel bar samples, which exceeded the required standard of mass density, thereby affecting the tensile test.
Paul Y decided to remove the whole batch of Y12 steel bars, weighing 25.47 tons in total, from the site, after being informed by HA of the test results.
On November 6, 1999, part of the rejected steel bars weighing 17.68 tons were returned to the Long & Wide godown and recorded in a weighing docket.
On request, Li instructed godown clerk Lam Ki-to to produce an additional weighing docket to falsely represent the return of the remaining amount or 7.79 tons of rejected steel bars, so as to enable Long & Wide to receive payment from Paul Y.
On November 10, 1999, Paul Y reported to HA that the entire batch of non-compliant steel bars were removed from the site, with photocopies of the two weighing dockets submitted as proof.
The case arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that Paul Y site staff had bribed employees of the Housing Department and Long & Wide to connive at the use of substandard steel bars at the construction site. ICAC enquiries revealed the conspiracy of fence.
The prosecution was today represented by Allan To on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Winnie Lee.
Magistrate Mr Frankie Yiu adjourned sentencing Li Chun-tat, 43, formerly employed by Long & Wide Development Limited (Long & Wide), until November 28, pending a background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Dep artment.
The court heard that Paul Y-ITC General Contractors Limited (Paul Y) was appointed by HA as the contractor for the superstructure construction of the project.
On October 26, 1999, Long & Wide supplied steel bars of three different sizes, including Y12 steel bars, to the site.
On November 3, 1999, an HA-appointed laboratory conducted tests on Y12 steel bar samples, which exceeded the required standard of mass density, thereby affecting the tensile test.
Paul Y decided to remove the whole batch of Y12 steel bars, weighing 25.47 tons in total, from the site, after being informed by HA of the test results.
On November 6, 1999, part of the rejected steel bars weighing 17.68 tons were returned to the Long & Wide godown and recorded in a weighing docket.
On request, Li instructed godown clerk Lam Ki-to to produce an additional weighing docket to falsely represent the return of the remaining amount or 7.79 tons of rejected steel bars, so as to enable Long & Wide to receive payment from Paul Y.
On November 10, 1999, Paul Y reported to HA that the entire batch of non-compliant steel bars were removed from the site, with photocopies of the two weighing dockets submitted as proof.
The case arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that Paul Y site staff had bribed employees of the Housing Department and Long & Wide to connive at the use of substandard steel bars at the construction site. ICAC enquiries revealed the conspiracy of fence.
The prosecution was today represented by Allan To on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Winnie Lee.