Airport Railway project subcontractor's foreman jailed for pocketing $3.9m project fees
2002-6-24
A construction foreman of an engineering company was today (Monday) sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment at District Court for conspiracy to steal project payments totalling $3.9 million in relation to the rooftop installation project at the Airport Railw ay Tsing Yi Station.
Wong San-choi, 36, construction foreman of Basic Engineering Company Limited (Basic), today pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to steal.
The ICAC uncovered the offences in the course of a corruption investigation.
Deputy Judge Jenkins said the offences were sophisticated and premeditated that warranted an immediate custodial sentence.
The judge added that the starting point of 36-month jail term was reduced to 28 months, taking into account the defendant's guilty plea, his relatively minor role in the theft, and assistance to the ICAC.
The Airport Railway Tsing Yi Station, developed by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, was contracted to Maeda-Kumagai Joint Venture. Payments on behalf of the joint venture were made by Maeda Corporation (Maeda).
The joint venture subcontracted the rooftop installation project to Zahner (HK) Limited (Zahner), which appointed Basic to carry out metal roof work.
Basic was operated by Poon Chiu-yiu, who was also employed by Zahner as project manager of the Tsing Yi Station project.
The court heard that Poon and Wong had set up a British Virgin Islands-registered company bearing a name identical to Zahner, that is Zahner (H.K.) Limited.
Between March 4 and October 11, 1999, three cheques in the total sum of $3.9 million issued by Maeda to Zahner as interim project payments were intercepted by Poon and Wong and subsequently deposited into the bank account of their BVI-registered company.
Wong was arrested in April 2002. When interviewed under caution, he admitted having conspired with Poon to steal the project payments, and claimed he had kept $50,000 for himself and handed the remaining money to Poon.
Poon had left Hong Kong before the commencement of the ICAC investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Melville Boase on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Simon Law.
Wong San-choi, 36, construction foreman of Basic Engineering Company Limited (Basic), today pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to steal.
The ICAC uncovered the offences in the course of a corruption investigation.
Deputy Judge Jenkins said the offences were sophisticated and premeditated that warranted an immediate custodial sentence.
The judge added that the starting point of 36-month jail term was reduced to 28 months, taking into account the defendant's guilty plea, his relatively minor role in the theft, and assistance to the ICAC.
The Airport Railway Tsing Yi Station, developed by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, was contracted to Maeda-Kumagai Joint Venture. Payments on behalf of the joint venture were made by Maeda Corporation (Maeda).
The joint venture subcontracted the rooftop installation project to Zahner (HK) Limited (Zahner), which appointed Basic to carry out metal roof work.
Basic was operated by Poon Chiu-yiu, who was also employed by Zahner as project manager of the Tsing Yi Station project.
The court heard that Poon and Wong had set up a British Virgin Islands-registered company bearing a name identical to Zahner, that is Zahner (H.K.) Limited.
Between March 4 and October 11, 1999, three cheques in the total sum of $3.9 million issued by Maeda to Zahner as interim project payments were intercepted by Poon and Wong and subsequently deposited into the bank account of their BVI-registered company.
Wong was arrested in April 2002. When interviewed under caution, he admitted having conspired with Poon to steal the project payments, and claimed he had kept $50,000 for himself and handed the remaining money to Poon.
Poon had left Hong Kong before the commencement of the ICAC investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Melville Boase on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Simon Law.