Four jailed for bribery over supply of water pipes
2010-9-27
Four persons, charged by the ICAC, were today (Monday) sentenced to various jail terms at the District Court for offering and accepting bribes totalling over $150,000 in relation to the supply of pipeline materials in government projects, and perverting t he course of public justice by claiming that one of the bribes was a loan.
Tang Ming-wa, 47, former commercial manager of CPC Construction Hong Kong Limited (CPC), and Lo Hin-wing, 40, former project manager of CPC, were jailed for 16 months and four months respectively.
Or Chung-kit, 34, former planning engineer of Chevalier Pipe Rehabilitation Hong Kong Limited (CPR), formerly known as Pressag Pipe Rehabilitation Hong Kong Limited, received a jail term of seven months.
Co-defendant Cheung Koon-chee, 61, director of BIS Hua Wei Pipelines & Steel Structure Engineering Company Limited (BIS), was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Passing sentence, Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man said he had to mete out custodial sentences to the defendants, having taken into account precedents.
The defendants were earlier convicted of a total of eight charges –'96 three of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages, three of agent accepting an advantage, one of offering an advantage to an agent, and one of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The court heard that CPC and CPR were subsidiaries of the Chevalier Group.
Between January 2004 and May 2007, the Water Supplies Department awarded to CPC and CPR three waterworks projects, of which BIS was appointed the authorised supplier of pipeline materials.
To remain favourably disposed towards BIS in relation to the purchases and supplies of pipeline materials, Tang, Or and Lo conspired to accept from Cheung $30,000 and periodic payments calculated at the rate of about 1.5% of the total amount of purchase o rders issued to BIS.
Tang and Or also conspired to accept $32,000 from Cheung for the same reason.
The court heard that Or alone accepted $30,000 or $40,000 from Cheung as a reward for remaining favourably disposed toward BIS in the award of purchase orders for the supply of pipeline materials.
On separate occasions, Cheung and Tang were respectively convicted of offering and accepting $60,000 while Tang was further convicted of accepting $10,000 from Cheung for the same reason.
To cover up the $60,000 bribe payment, Tang and Cheung falsely represented to ICAC officers that the sum of $60,000 was a loan to Tang, and that the loan would be fully repaid in three months’ time, the court was told.
CPC and CPR had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Wong Hay-yiu, assisted by ICAC officer Tim So.
Tang Ming-wa, 47, former commercial manager of CPC Construction Hong Kong Limited (CPC), and Lo Hin-wing, 40, former project manager of CPC, were jailed for 16 months and four months respectively.
Or Chung-kit, 34, former planning engineer of Chevalier Pipe Rehabilitation Hong Kong Limited (CPR), formerly known as Pressag Pipe Rehabilitation Hong Kong Limited, received a jail term of seven months.
Co-defendant Cheung Koon-chee, 61, director of BIS Hua Wei Pipelines & Steel Structure Engineering Company Limited (BIS), was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Passing sentence, Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man said he had to mete out custodial sentences to the defendants, having taken into account precedents.
The defendants were earlier convicted of a total of eight charges –'96 three of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages, three of agent accepting an advantage, one of offering an advantage to an agent, and one of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The court heard that CPC and CPR were subsidiaries of the Chevalier Group.
Between January 2004 and May 2007, the Water Supplies Department awarded to CPC and CPR three waterworks projects, of which BIS was appointed the authorised supplier of pipeline materials.
To remain favourably disposed towards BIS in relation to the purchases and supplies of pipeline materials, Tang, Or and Lo conspired to accept from Cheung $30,000 and periodic payments calculated at the rate of about 1.5% of the total amount of purchase o rders issued to BIS.
Tang and Or also conspired to accept $32,000 from Cheung for the same reason.
The court heard that Or alone accepted $30,000 or $40,000 from Cheung as a reward for remaining favourably disposed toward BIS in the award of purchase orders for the supply of pipeline materials.
On separate occasions, Cheung and Tang were respectively convicted of offering and accepting $60,000 while Tang was further convicted of accepting $10,000 from Cheung for the same reason.
To cover up the $60,000 bribe payment, Tang and Cheung falsely represented to ICAC officers that the sum of $60,000 was a loan to Tang, and that the loan would be fully repaid in three months’ time, the court was told.
CPC and CPR had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Wong Hay-yiu, assisted by ICAC officer Tim So.