Management company staff jailed for bribery over unauthorised building works at Marina Cove
2009-7-31
A senior operation assistant of a property management company, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Kwun Tong Magistracy for accepting $100,000 in bribes from a director of an interior design company for conniving at unauthorised building works at Marina Cove.
Shiu Chung-yu, 36, senior operation assistant of Synergis Management Services Limited (Synergis), was also ordered to pay Synergis and the Incorporated Owners (IO) of Marina Cove a restitution of $50,000 each.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Abu Bakar bin Wahab noted that a custodial sentence was imposed on the defendant in view of the seriousness of the offences.
The magistrate added that the sentence had already taken into account the defendant’s guilty plea as well as his testimony against a co-defendant leading to the latter’s conviction.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that Synergis was contracted to manage Marina Cove, a private residential estate in Sai Kung.
In March 2008, Law Woon-tong, a director-cum-shareholder of MIB Interiors Design Limited (MIB), told the defendant that MIB had secured a contract to renovate a unit in Marina Cove, including the extension of the main entrance into public area.
The defendant 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 Law offered to provide the defendant with monetary rewards for not reporting the unauthorised building works.
The defendant 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 defendant also agreed to ignore any complaints against unauthorised building works conducted by MIB, and not to notify the IO of Marina Cove or the Buildings Department (BD) of such unauthorised building works.
Afterwards, Law gave the defendant an envelope containing $50,000 as a reward for covering up the said unauthorised building works.
The court heard that in November 2008, Law again asked the defendant to connive at unauthorised building works to be conducted by MIB at another unit in a like manner.
Law then asked an accounts clerk of MIB to deposit $50,000 cash into the defendant’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.
Law, 35, was also charged for his role in the case. He was earlier found guilty of two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, and was jailed for one year.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Sheroy Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Sandy Leung.
Shiu Chung-yu, 36, senior operation assistant of Synergis Management Services Limited (Synergis), was also ordered to pay Synergis and the Incorporated Owners (IO) of Marina Cove a restitution of $50,000 each.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Abu Bakar bin Wahab noted that a custodial sentence was imposed on the defendant in view of the seriousness of the offences.
The magistrate added that the sentence had already taken into account the defendant’s guilty plea as well as his testimony against a co-defendant leading to the latter’s conviction.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that Synergis was contracted to manage Marina Cove, a private residential estate in Sai Kung.
In March 2008, Law Woon-tong, a director-cum-shareholder of MIB Interiors Design Limited (MIB), told the defendant that MIB had secured a contract to renovate a unit in Marina Cove, including the extension of the main entrance into public area.
The defendant 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 Law offered to provide the defendant with monetary rewards for not reporting the unauthorised building works.
The defendant 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 defendant also agreed to ignore any complaints against unauthorised building works conducted by MIB, and not to notify the IO of Marina Cove or the Buildings Department (BD) of such unauthorised building works.
Afterwards, Law gave the defendant an envelope containing $50,000 as a reward for covering up the said unauthorised building works.
The court heard that in November 2008, Law again asked the defendant to connive at unauthorised building works to be conducted by MIB at another unit in a like manner.
Law then asked an accounts clerk of MIB to deposit $50,000 cash into the defendant’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.
Law, 35, was also charged for his role in the case. He was earlier found guilty of two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, and was jailed for one year.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Sheroy Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Sandy Leung.