Ex-company partners jailed for $800,000 bribery over Housing Society's maintenance projects
2004-2-2
Three former partners of an engineering company were today (Monday) sentenced at District Court for offering bribes totalling over $800,000 to officers of the Hong Kong Housing Society (HS) over the use of fire-protection materials in HS' maintenance proj ects.
Chang Yu-lin, 60, former partner of New Way Engineering Company (New Way), received an imprisonment of three years, with 18 months to run consecutively with his current jail sentence of three and a half years in relation to another bribery case.
Kwok Ah-sing, 52, and Ng Hon-hung, 49, also former partners of New Way, were sentenced to 18 months' and 24 months' imprisonment respectively.
In sentencing, Judge Day said custodial sentences must be imposed to serve as a deterrent, since the society would not accept corruption in public maintenance works.
Chang, Kwok and Ng were earlier convicted of two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to public servants, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO).
Ng was also found guilty of one count of offering an advantage to a Government officer, contrary to Section 8(1) of PBO.
The court heard that New Way, which was set up by Chang, Kwok, Ng and two others in January 1996, became an agent for the supply of "3M" brand fire-protection materials in Hong Kong.
Chang told Kwok, Ng and the two other partners that bribes had to be paid to HS officers as a reward for the officers using their position and influence to specify the use of the specified brand fire-prevention materials in maintenance projects of HS.
Chang, Kwok and Ng agreed to pay HS officers 20 per cent of the total sales value of the specified brand products used in HS projects.
The defendants also agreed that bribe payments should be made under the disguise of consultancy fee to HS officers through Asian Growing Engineering Limited (AGE), of which Chang was a director. AGE was a contractor of HS.
As a result, over $800,000 was paid by New Way to AGE.
The court also heard that Ng offered a round-trip air ticket to Taipei to a Property Services Officer of the Architectural Services Department (ASD), whilst tendering for a maintenance contract from ASD.
The offences took place between January 1996 and August 1999.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hin-lee on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Mike Chan.
Chang Yu-lin, 60, former partner of New Way Engineering Company (New Way), received an imprisonment of three years, with 18 months to run consecutively with his current jail sentence of three and a half years in relation to another bribery case.
Kwok Ah-sing, 52, and Ng Hon-hung, 49, also former partners of New Way, were sentenced to 18 months' and 24 months' imprisonment respectively.
In sentencing, Judge Day said custodial sentences must be imposed to serve as a deterrent, since the society would not accept corruption in public maintenance works.
Chang, Kwok and Ng were earlier convicted of two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to public servants, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO).
Ng was also found guilty of one count of offering an advantage to a Government officer, contrary to Section 8(1) of PBO.
The court heard that New Way, which was set up by Chang, Kwok, Ng and two others in January 1996, became an agent for the supply of "3M" brand fire-protection materials in Hong Kong.
Chang told Kwok, Ng and the two other partners that bribes had to be paid to HS officers as a reward for the officers using their position and influence to specify the use of the specified brand fire-prevention materials in maintenance projects of HS.
Chang, Kwok and Ng agreed to pay HS officers 20 per cent of the total sales value of the specified brand products used in HS projects.
The defendants also agreed that bribe payments should be made under the disguise of consultancy fee to HS officers through Asian Growing Engineering Limited (AGE), of which Chang was a director. AGE was a contractor of HS.
As a result, over $800,000 was paid by New Way to AGE.
The court also heard that Ng offered a round-trip air ticket to Taipei to a Property Services Officer of the Architectural Services Department (ASD), whilst tendering for a maintenance contract from ASD.
The offences took place between January 1996 and August 1999.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hin-lee on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Mike Chan.