Interior design company director jailed for bribery over unauthorised building works at Marina Cove
2009-7-24
A director of an interior design company, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to one year’s imprisonment at Kwun Tong Magistracy for offering $100,000 in bribes to an employee of a property management company for conniving at unauthorised building works at Marina Cove.
Law Woon-tong, 35, a director-cum-shareholder of MIB Interiors Design Limited (MIB), was found guilty of two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Abu Bakar bin Wahab noted that in view of the seriousness of the offences, a custodial sentence must be meted out to the defendant to serve as a deterrent.
The court heard that Synergis Management Services Limited (Synergis) was contracted to manage Marina Cove, a private residential estate in Sai Kung.
In March 2008, the defendant told a senior operation assistant of Synergis that MIB had secured a contract to renovate a unit in Marina Cove, including the extension of the main entrance into public area.
The assistant was responsible for inspecting units under renovation, so as to ensure that no unauthorised building works were carried out at the estate.
The court heard that the defendant offered to provide the assistant with monetary rewards for not reporting the unauthorised building works.
The assistant then agreed to make a fake measurement, purporting that the front door had been extended prior to the renovation work carried out by MIB at the unit.
The assistant also agreed to ignore any complaints against unauthorised building works conducted by MIB, and not to notify the Incorporated Owners of Marina Cove or the Buildings Department (BD) of such unauthorised building works.
Afterwards, the defendant gave the assistant an envelope containing $50,000 as a reward for covering up the said unauthorised building works.
The court heard that in November 2008, the defendant again asked the assistant to connive at unauthorised building works to be conducted by MIB at another unit in a like manner.
The defendant then asked an accounts clerk of MIB to deposit $50,000 cash into the assistant’s bank account as a reward.
Subsequent inspections carried out by the BD confirmed that unauthorised building works had been conducted in the said two units, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Sheroy Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Sandy Leung.
Law Woon-tong, 35, a director-cum-shareholder of MIB Interiors Design Limited (MIB), was found guilty of two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Abu Bakar bin Wahab noted that in view of the seriousness of the offences, a custodial sentence must be meted out to the defendant to serve as a deterrent.
The court heard that Synergis Management Services Limited (Synergis) was contracted to manage Marina Cove, a private residential estate in Sai Kung.
In March 2008, the defendant told a senior operation assistant of Synergis that MIB had secured a contract to renovate a unit in Marina Cove, including the extension of the main entrance into public area.
The assistant was responsible for inspecting units under renovation, so as to ensure that no unauthorised building works were carried out at the estate.
The court heard that the defendant offered to provide the assistant with monetary rewards for not reporting the unauthorised building works.
The assistant then agreed to make a fake measurement, purporting that the front door had been extended prior to the renovation work carried out by MIB at the unit.
The assistant also agreed to ignore any complaints against unauthorised building works conducted by MIB, and not to notify the Incorporated Owners of Marina Cove or the Buildings Department (BD) of such unauthorised building works.
Afterwards, the defendant gave the assistant an envelope containing $50,000 as a reward for covering up the said unauthorised building works.
The court heard that in November 2008, the defendant again asked the assistant to connive at unauthorised building works to be conducted by MIB at another unit in a like manner.
The defendant then asked an accounts clerk of MIB to deposit $50,000 cash into the assistant’s bank account as a reward.
Subsequent inspections carried out by the BD confirmed that unauthorised building works had been conducted in the said two units, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Sheroy Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Sandy Leung.