Ex-bus cleaning inspector and subcontractor jailed for bribery
2005-7-4
A former cleaning inspector and a former cleaning subcontractor of Citybus Limited (Citybus), charged by the ICAC, were today (Monday) sent to jail for accepting bribes totalling over $220,000 in relation to bus cleaning work performed by subcontractors.
Wong Chi-kwong, 46, a former cleaning inspector of Citybus, received a jail term of 23 months, while co-defendant Lok How-chuen, 47, a former cleaning subcontractor of Citybus, was jailed for 20 months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Henry Mierczak reprimanded the defendants for committing the serious offences, which lasted for a long period of time.
The defendants earlier 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.
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 Senior Government Counsel Winnie Ho, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.
Wong Chi-kwong, 46, a former cleaning inspector of Citybus, received a jail term of 23 months, while co-defendant Lok How-chuen, 47, a former cleaning subcontractor of Citybus, was jailed for 20 months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Henry Mierczak reprimanded the defendants for committing the serious offences, which lasted for a long period of time.
The defendants earlier 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.
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 Senior Government Counsel Winnie Ho, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.