A couple who runs a cleaning company today (Friday) admitted that they had offered bribes totalling $70,000 to the chairman of an Incorporated Owners (IO) of a residential building for securing a cleaning contract of the building.

Man Mau-cho, 65, and his wife Heung Sau-kuk, 52, charged by the ICAC, pleaded guilty to offering a monthly payment of $2,000 to Lee Leng-kong, the chairman of the IO of Hing Wong Mansion in Tai Kok Tsui, for the latter showing favour to them or Man's Clea ning Service (Man's) in relation to the IO's business.

Heung pleaded guilty to a similar offence of offering a red packet with a sum of $5,000 to Lee on June 7, 2004 for the same reason.

Kowloon City Magistracy Mr Ernest Lin adjourned sentencing to March 31, 2006. The defendants were each granted cash bail of $1,000.

The court heard that the defendants were partners of Man's, which provided cleaning services to Hing Wong Mansion, where they also reside at.

In mid-2001, Lee approached the defendants to canvass vote for him in the election of IO chairman of the building.

Lee promised to award the defendants a 3-year cleaning contract of the building if he was elected, while the normal tenure of the said contract was for one year.

Lee indicated that "commissions" should be paid to him for the arrangement.

On December 1, 2001, Lee signed a 3-year cleaning contract with Man's.

The court heard that on 35 occasions between December 2001 and October 2004, the defendants paid Lee $2,000 per month.

At Lee's birthday on June 7, 2004, Heung gave him a "laisee" containing $5,000, hoping to secure a further cleaning contract of the building.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Jenny Chau.