20 netted for alleged corruption causing substandard road maintenance works
2003-4-8
Twenty persons, including a serving and a former Works Supervisors of the Highways Department (HyD), were arrested by the ICAC for their alleged involvement in substandard road maintenance works, suspected to be facilitated by corruption.
It is alleged that the suspected scam concerns works orders issued in the past two years for milling and asphalt resurfacing at various locations in the territory.
Apart from the two serving and former HyD staff, the arrestees included five directors, eight serving and four former employees of an engineering company which has been subcontracted the projects, as well as a site agent of another engineering subcontract or.
The ICAC operation, code-named " Fairyland" , commenced last Thursday (April 3).
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that some staff members of an engineering subcontractor might have offered advantages to HyD officers for their connivance at substandard road maintenance works.
According to the HyD maintenance contracts, the projects involved milling the existing road surfaces and resurfacing them with asphalt to specific depths and strength. The subcontractor was required to submit samples of resurfaced road works to the Gover nment Laboratory for testing.
HyD also required that the work procedures, including that of resurfacing, coring of asphalt samples and delivery of samples to the laboratory, be supervised by HyD officers.
It was alleged that most of the resurfacing works carried out by the engineering company did not meet the prescribed standard. And the HyD Works Supervisors responsible for the projects had failed to supervise most of the resurfacing works and coring of samples.
Investigations also revealed that the directors of the engineering company had allegedly instructed their staff to falsify asphalt core samples for submitting to the Government Laboratory, facilitating the claiming of project fees from HyD.
HyD rendered full co-operation to the ICAC during its investigation.
The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. The corruption inquiry is continuing.
It is alleged that the suspected scam concerns works orders issued in the past two years for milling and asphalt resurfacing at various locations in the territory.
Apart from the two serving and former HyD staff, the arrestees included five directors, eight serving and four former employees of an engineering company which has been subcontracted the projects, as well as a site agent of another engineering subcontract or.
The ICAC operation, code-named " Fairyland" , commenced last Thursday (April 3).
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that some staff members of an engineering subcontractor might have offered advantages to HyD officers for their connivance at substandard road maintenance works.
According to the HyD maintenance contracts, the projects involved milling the existing road surfaces and resurfacing them with asphalt to specific depths and strength. The subcontractor was required to submit samples of resurfaced road works to the Gover nment Laboratory for testing.
HyD also required that the work procedures, including that of resurfacing, coring of asphalt samples and delivery of samples to the laboratory, be supervised by HyD officers.
It was alleged that most of the resurfacing works carried out by the engineering company did not meet the prescribed standard. And the HyD Works Supervisors responsible for the projects had failed to supervise most of the resurfacing works and coring of samples.
Investigations also revealed that the directors of the engineering company had allegedly instructed their staff to falsify asphalt core samples for submitting to the Government Laboratory, facilitating the claiming of project fees from HyD.
HyD rendered full co-operation to the ICAC during its investigation.
The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. The corruption inquiry is continuing.