Duo jailed for bribery over listed company's construction projects
2005-1-14
A Chief Manager of publicly listed The Wharf (Holdings) Limited (Wharf) and a director of another company, charged by the ICAC, were today (Friday) sent to jail for soliciting and accepting tens of millions of dollars in bribes in relation to construction projects of Wharf.
Warren Wong Kwok-wang, 48, Chief Manager of Wharf, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, while Edwin Tso Wai-cheung, 41, a director of W.K. Limited, was jailed for six years.
The defendants were earlier found guilty by a jury of the Court of First Instance of a total of nine corruption offences.
In sentencing, Mr Justice Tong said the offences, which involved substantial bribe money and lasted a lengthy period, constituted a serious breach of trust.
The judge also reprimanded the defendants for undermining the tendering system in the construction industry.
The judge added that deterrent sentences must be imposed on the defendants to serve as a clear and serious warning to potential offenders.
The prosecution today applied to the court for Wong and Tso to pay $2.7 million and $9.5 million respectively as restitution to Wharf. A judgment was reserved.
Wong and Tso were found guilty of two joint charges of conspiracy to solicit a total of $24 million from Hip Hing Construction Company Limited (Hip Hing) and Gammon Skanska Limited for Wong to provide information about the tenders submitted by other contr actors in relation to a construction project of Wharf.
Wong was further found guilty of one count of conspiracy to solicit $10 million from Chun Wo Construction & Engineering Company Limited (Chun Wo) in relation to the same project.
The defendants were also convicted of three counts of conspiracy to accept sums of money from Hip Hing for Wong to provide to the latter confidential tendering information of three other Wharf's projects.
Wong was further found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to accept sums of money from Chun Wo and Ping Kee Furniture Company for assisting the latter to obtain construction and renovation projects from Wharf.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, Wong was the Chief Manager responsible for processing tenders submitted by contractors to bid for Wharf's construction projects.
Between January 1998 and December 2002, Wong and Tso had corruptly assisted a number of contractors in obtaining various construction and renovation contracts from Wharf.
Tso was formerly employed by one of the contractors concerned before establishing W.K. Limited, the court heard.
These contracts included construction or renovation projects at Bellagio Phases I and II, Serenade Cove, Kowloon Station Development package II and Landscape Podium LP2, Hillcrest and Hillview Villas, and Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Arthur Leung.
Warren Wong Kwok-wang, 48, Chief Manager of Wharf, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, while Edwin Tso Wai-cheung, 41, a director of W.K. Limited, was jailed for six years.
The defendants were earlier found guilty by a jury of the Court of First Instance of a total of nine corruption offences.
In sentencing, Mr Justice Tong said the offences, which involved substantial bribe money and lasted a lengthy period, constituted a serious breach of trust.
The judge also reprimanded the defendants for undermining the tendering system in the construction industry.
The judge added that deterrent sentences must be imposed on the defendants to serve as a clear and serious warning to potential offenders.
The prosecution today applied to the court for Wong and Tso to pay $2.7 million and $9.5 million respectively as restitution to Wharf. A judgment was reserved.
Wong and Tso were found guilty of two joint charges of conspiracy to solicit a total of $24 million from Hip Hing Construction Company Limited (Hip Hing) and Gammon Skanska Limited for Wong to provide information about the tenders submitted by other contr actors in relation to a construction project of Wharf.
Wong was further found guilty of one count of conspiracy to solicit $10 million from Chun Wo Construction & Engineering Company Limited (Chun Wo) in relation to the same project.
The defendants were also convicted of three counts of conspiracy to accept sums of money from Hip Hing for Wong to provide to the latter confidential tendering information of three other Wharf's projects.
Wong was further found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to accept sums of money from Chun Wo and Ping Kee Furniture Company for assisting the latter to obtain construction and renovation projects from Wharf.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, Wong was the Chief Manager responsible for processing tenders submitted by contractors to bid for Wharf's construction projects.
Between January 1998 and December 2002, Wong and Tso had corruptly assisted a number of contractors in obtaining various construction and renovation contracts from Wharf.
Tso was formerly employed by one of the contractors concerned before establishing W.K. Limited, the court heard.
These contracts included construction or renovation projects at Bellagio Phases I and II, Serenade Cove, Kowloon Station Development package II and Landscape Podium LP2, Hillcrest and Hillview Villas, and Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Arthur Leung.