Ex-bus cleaning inspector and subcontractor admit $220,000 bribery
2005-6-20
A former cleaning inspector of Citybus Limited (Citybus), charged by the ICAC, today (Monday) admitted at District Court that he had accepted over $220,000 in bribes in relation to bus cleaning work performed by subcontractors.
Wong Chi-kwong, 46, and co-defendant Lok How-chuen, 47, a former cleaning subcontractor of Citybus, pleaded guilty to one joint charge of conspiracy for a public servant to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance . Wong further admitted another similar offence.
Deputy Judge Henry Mierczak adjourned the case until July 5, 2005 for sentence, and remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that Citybus had awarded to Wing Hang Service Company (Wing Hang) and Man Shing Cleaning Service Company Limited (Man Shing) contracts for cleaning buses parked at its Fotan depot.
Wong was then employed by Citybus as a cleaning inspector to oversee the work undertaken by Wing Hang and Man Shing at the depot.
Lok was originally employed by Wing Hang as a supervisor. In October 2001, he resigned from the company and worked as a cleaning subcontractor.
Citybus would impose fines on the cleaning contractors should the cleaning work fail to meet the required standard.
The court heard that between October 2001 and December 2003, Lok had paid Wong an aggregate sum of $188,805 for the latter's lax supervision of the cleaning work subcontracted by Wing Hang and Man Shing and performed by workers employed by Lok.
To conceal the bribes, Wong instructed Lok to account for the payments as salaries paid to a certain worker, who in fact had never performed any cleaning work at the Fotan depot.
The court also heard that when another subcontractor took over the contract in January last year, that subcontractor continued to pay Wong the bribes through the above "ghost worker".
Between January and August last year, Wong accepted a total of $35,000 from the subcontractor.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.
Wong Chi-kwong, 46, and co-defendant Lok How-chuen, 47, a former cleaning subcontractor of Citybus, pleaded guilty to one joint charge of conspiracy for a public servant to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance . Wong further admitted another similar offence.
Deputy Judge Henry Mierczak adjourned the case until July 5, 2005 for sentence, and remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that Citybus had awarded to Wing Hang Service Company (Wing Hang) and Man Shing Cleaning Service Company Limited (Man Shing) contracts for cleaning buses parked at its Fotan depot.
Wong was then employed by Citybus as a cleaning inspector to oversee the work undertaken by Wing Hang and Man Shing at the depot.
Lok was originally employed by Wing Hang as a supervisor. In October 2001, he resigned from the company and worked as a cleaning subcontractor.
Citybus would impose fines on the cleaning contractors should the cleaning work fail to meet the required standard.
The court heard that between October 2001 and December 2003, Lok had paid Wong an aggregate sum of $188,805 for the latter's lax supervision of the cleaning work subcontracted by Wing Hang and Man Shing and performed by workers employed by Lok.
To conceal the bribes, Wong instructed Lok to account for the payments as salaries paid to a certain worker, who in fact had never performed any cleaning work at the Fotan depot.
The court also heard that when another subcontractor took over the contract in January last year, that subcontractor continued to pay Wong the bribes through the above "ghost worker".
Between January and August last year, Wong accepted a total of $35,000 from the subcontractor.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.