The ICAC has arrested five persons, including a director of a civil engineering construction company, for alleged bribery in relation to school improvement projects of the Architectural Services Department (ASD).

Also arrested in the operation last Friday (September 24) were a director and a partner of a construction subcontractor, as well as two directors of different piling subcontractors.

In 2002, ASD awarded two contracts to the civil engineering construction company as the main contractor for improvement projects at a number of schools in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Kwai Chung.

The ICAC earlier received a corruption complaint in relation to these school improvement projects. Subsequent inquiries revealed that a director of the civil engineering construction company might have corruptly assisted a number of subcontractors in obt aining the construction and piling contracts of the projects.

Last Friday, the director of the civil engineering construction company had allegedly accepted a bribe payment of $300,000 from one of the subcontractors.

The duo was arrested by ICAC officers after the alleged bribe payment changed hands.

ASD has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.

The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. Inquiries are continuing.