A former consultant of an architectural consultancy firm, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to nine months' imprisonment at District Court for accepting a $500,000 bribe from a proprietor of an engineering company in relation to a renova tion project at a private residential building in the Peak.

Lai Kon-bun, 61, a former consultant of R. Hauser & Partners Limited (Hauser), was found guilty of one count of agent accepting an advantage under Section 9 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. Lai was acquitted of seven other bribery charges against him.

In sentencing, Deputy Judge Livesey said as bribery was prevalent in building renovation business, the only penalty for the defendant was a custodial sentence.

The court heard that at the time of the offence, Lai was assigned by Hauser to coordinate and supervise renovation works carried out by its contractors.

In June 2003, an engineering company was awarded a renovation project worth over $4 million by the owners' committee of a private residential building in the Peak.

After the owners' committee of the private residential building employed Hauser as a consultant, Lai was assigned to monitor the project.

On May 11 last year, the engineering company's proprietor met Lai in his office.

Lai demanded $500,000 from the engineering company's proprietor as a reward for assisting the latter in relation to the renovation contract and obtaining payments.

At a meeting monitored by the ICAC at a club in Tsim Sha Tsui, Lai was arrested upon collecting $500,000 from the engineering company's proprietor.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Prakash Daryanani, assisted by ICAC officer Caroline Yu.