Contractor jailed for bribery over renovation project
2019-5-7
A renovation contractor, charged by the ICAC, was today (May 7) sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment at the Eastern Magistracy for bribing a former manager of a property management company to expedite the outstanding payment of over $540,000 for a renovation project.
Lau Tai-chun, 62, sole proprietor of Tat Shing Engineering Co. (Tat Shing), earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said the offence committed by the defendant was serious in nature. He reduced the jail term to six weeks from the starting point of nine weeks after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole proprietor of Tat Shing, a renovation contractor.
In early 2016, a property manager of a property management company, which was engaged by the developer to provide building management service to a commercial building in Causeway Bay, asked the defendant to submit a quotation for a renovation project to convert a check meter room into a management office in the commercial building. The defendant then submitted a quotation in the sum of $548,300.
Shortly after March 2016, the property manager requested the defendant to commence the renovation project. The defendant did accordingly and finished the renovation work in mid-2017.
The court heard that on a day unknown in June 2017, the defendant visited the commercial building and met the property manager near his office, where the defendant offered a bribe of around $1,000 to the property manager as a reward for expediting the payment of an outstanding sum of over $540,000 in relation to the renovation work.
The property management company and the developer had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officers Judy Cheung and Keith Chan.
Lau Tai-chun, 62, sole proprietor of Tat Shing Engineering Co. (Tat Shing), earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said the offence committed by the defendant was serious in nature. He reduced the jail term to six weeks from the starting point of nine weeks after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole proprietor of Tat Shing, a renovation contractor.
In early 2016, a property manager of a property management company, which was engaged by the developer to provide building management service to a commercial building in Causeway Bay, asked the defendant to submit a quotation for a renovation project to convert a check meter room into a management office in the commercial building. The defendant then submitted a quotation in the sum of $548,300.
Shortly after March 2016, the property manager requested the defendant to commence the renovation project. The defendant did accordingly and finished the renovation work in mid-2017.
The court heard that on a day unknown in June 2017, the defendant visited the commercial building and met the property manager near his office, where the defendant offered a bribe of around $1,000 to the property manager as a reward for expediting the payment of an outstanding sum of over $540,000 in relation to the renovation work.
The property management company and the developer had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officers Judy Cheung and Keith Chan.