Trio jailed for defrauding Highways Department over road resurfacing works
2004-11-17
Two directors and a foreman of a road maintenance company, charged by the ICAC, were today (Wednesday) sentenced to jail terms of up to three years at District Court for conspiring to defraud the Highways Department (HyD) in relation to road resurfacing w orks.
Cheuk Wai-hung, 42, and Chan Kwai-wah, 51, both directors of Trinity (Asphalt Surfacing) Engineering Limited (Trinity), each received a jail term of three years.
Chan Shing-yan, 29, foreman of Trinity, was jailed for two years and three months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Garry Tallentire reprimanded the defendants for showing no remorse.
The judge added that the defendants' fraudulent acts, if undetected, might put public safety at risk.
The defendants were earlier found guilty of one joint charge of conspiracy to defraud HyD.
The court heard that since 1999, Trinity had been contracted by HyD to perform road resurfacing works throughout the territory.
Under the supervision of HyD staff, core samples were to be obtained from various road resurfacing sites and delivered to the government laboratory for testing in relation to their gravity and compaction.
The court heard that between November 1999 and April last year, cored samples fabricated at Trinity's site office at Whitehead were presented to the laboratory for testing, replacing any substandard ones.
The defendants had falsely represented to HyD that such core samples were the actual ones obtained from various road resurfacing sites, the court heard.
The prosecution was today represented by Adrien Souyave, counsel on fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Vivian Lee.
Cheuk Wai-hung, 42, and Chan Kwai-wah, 51, both directors of Trinity (Asphalt Surfacing) Engineering Limited (Trinity), each received a jail term of three years.
Chan Shing-yan, 29, foreman of Trinity, was jailed for two years and three months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Garry Tallentire reprimanded the defendants for showing no remorse.
The judge added that the defendants' fraudulent acts, if undetected, might put public safety at risk.
The defendants were earlier found guilty of one joint charge of conspiracy to defraud HyD.
The court heard that since 1999, Trinity had been contracted by HyD to perform road resurfacing works throughout the territory.
Under the supervision of HyD staff, core samples were to be obtained from various road resurfacing sites and delivered to the government laboratory for testing in relation to their gravity and compaction.
The court heard that between November 1999 and April last year, cored samples fabricated at Trinity's site office at Whitehead were presented to the laboratory for testing, replacing any substandard ones.
The defendants had falsely represented to HyD that such core samples were the actual ones obtained from various road resurfacing sites, the court heard.
The prosecution was today represented by Adrien Souyave, counsel on fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Vivian Lee.