A former site agent was today (Monday) convicted at District Court of conspiracy to defraud in relation to substandard works at a site formation project at the Po Lam Road Platform.

The court heard that a portion of one of the slopes concerned collapsed in April 1998. An investigation by an independent geologist concluded that the slope work was defective with major and extensive non-compliance including inadequate and substandard f ill materials.

Sin Chi-kong, 37, formerly employed by Zen Pacific Civil Contractors Limited (Zen Pacific), was today found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Civil Engineering Department (CED).

Judge Whaley adjourned the case until November 4, 2002 for sentence, and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The case arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that some staff members of Zen Pacific, which had been awarded a contract by CED to conduct improvement works for two existing slopes at the Po Lam Road Platform, might be involved in corruption. ICAC enquiries uncovered the conspiracy offence.

The charge stated that between January 1 and December 31, 1997, Sin had conspired with other persons to defraud CED by dishonestly:

- falsely representing that the work relating to the upgrading of two existing slopes at the site of formation of Po Lam Road Platform used fill material in accordance with specifications;

- substituting the fill material samples taken from the designated locations at the site with other samples;

- falsely representing that the other samples were the samples taken from the designated locations at the site;

- submitting the other samples for testing; and

- causing CED to pay for work that was not done properly.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Martin Hui, assisted by ICAC officer Tony Chan.