15 months' jail for ex-quantity surveyor making false claims from ASD
2002-9-19
A former quantity surveyor, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment at District Court for cheating works payments from the Architectural Services Department (ASD) in relation to maintenance works of government proper ties.
Yip Chun-kit, 38, formerly employed by Sun Wah Engineering Company (Sun Wah), yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud ASD.
The case arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some ASD officers might have accepted advantages from subcontractors for covering up false claims, inflating estimates and expediting release of interim payments.
Wan Chung Construction Company Limited (Wan Chung) was contracted by ASD to undertake maintenance works of government properties.
Wan Chung subcontracted part of its maintenance works to Sun Wah, of which Yip Siu-kau was the proprietor.
While employed by Sun Wah, the defendant was responsible for measuring completed maintenance works and preparing dimension books, which set out in details the quantity of each item of works done.
The court heard that between June 1, 1998 and February 28, 1999, the defendant conspired with Yip Siu-kau and other persons to falsely represent to ASD that certain maintenance works had been carried out as described in the entries made in dimension books .
They submitted these dimension books to ASD, through Wan Chung, for obtaining payment for works purportedly completed.
The dimension books submitted to ASD had a total claimed value of about $3 to $4 million. About 60 per cent of the work orders concerned were either false or had their value inflated, the court heard.
The prosecution was today represented by Christopher Coghlan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Joanne Tang.
Yip Chun-kit, 38, formerly employed by Sun Wah Engineering Company (Sun Wah), yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud ASD.
The case arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some ASD officers might have accepted advantages from subcontractors for covering up false claims, inflating estimates and expediting release of interim payments.
Wan Chung Construction Company Limited (Wan Chung) was contracted by ASD to undertake maintenance works of government properties.
Wan Chung subcontracted part of its maintenance works to Sun Wah, of which Yip Siu-kau was the proprietor.
While employed by Sun Wah, the defendant was responsible for measuring completed maintenance works and preparing dimension books, which set out in details the quantity of each item of works done.
The court heard that between June 1, 1998 and February 28, 1999, the defendant conspired with Yip Siu-kau and other persons to falsely represent to ASD that certain maintenance works had been carried out as described in the entries made in dimension books .
They submitted these dimension books to ASD, through Wan Chung, for obtaining payment for works purportedly completed.
The dimension books submitted to ASD had a total claimed value of about $3 to $4 million. About 60 per cent of the work orders concerned were either false or had their value inflated, the court heard.
The prosecution was today represented by Christopher Coghlan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Joanne Tang.