Ex-hotel engineer jailed for two years for accepting $470,000 bribes over works projects
2022-2-7
A former engineer of a hotel, charged by the ICAC, was today (February 7) sentenced to two years’ imprisonment at the District Court after admitting that he had conspired with a works contractor to accept illegal rebates totalling over $470,000 for engaging and assisting the latter in completing various works projects of the hotel worth about $2.3 million in total.
Wong Tin-lung, 44, former engineer of The Fleming, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Judge Mr Douglas Yau Tak-hong said the defendant warranted a deterrent punishment for continuously accepting bribes for various works projects in the span of two years. The judge took a starting point of three years’ imprisonment, and reduced the defendant’s jail term by one-third to two years having considered his guilty plea.
The defendant was also ordered to pay about $400,000, which was equivalent to the bribes he had already received, as restitution to The Fleming.
At the material time, the defendant was an engineer of The Fleming, a hotel in Wan Chai. He was responsible for supervising all engineering and maintenance works of the hotel.
Although The Fleming prohibited its staff members from soliciting or accepting advantages for awarding works orders or showing favour to any contractor, the defendant had solicited and accepted illegal rebates totalling over $470,000 from a director-cum-shareholder of an engineering company for 39 projects between December 2017 and October 2019.
The court heard that the engineering company had been engaged by The Fleming as a works contractor since 2017. The projects included air conditioning, fire services and lighting works conducted at the Fleming and a restaurant in the hotel, and the total contract sum involved amounted to about $2.3 million.
The defendant admitted that he had solicited and accepted roughly half of the net profits of the projects contracted to the works contractor. He had asked for a larger amount of rebate where staff members of The Fleming were arranged to assist the works contractor in completing those projects.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. The Fleming had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Rita Li.
Wong Tin-lung, 44, former engineer of The Fleming, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Judge Mr Douglas Yau Tak-hong said the defendant warranted a deterrent punishment for continuously accepting bribes for various works projects in the span of two years. The judge took a starting point of three years’ imprisonment, and reduced the defendant’s jail term by one-third to two years having considered his guilty plea.
The defendant was also ordered to pay about $400,000, which was equivalent to the bribes he had already received, as restitution to The Fleming.
At the material time, the defendant was an engineer of The Fleming, a hotel in Wan Chai. He was responsible for supervising all engineering and maintenance works of the hotel.
Although The Fleming prohibited its staff members from soliciting or accepting advantages for awarding works orders or showing favour to any contractor, the defendant had solicited and accepted illegal rebates totalling over $470,000 from a director-cum-shareholder of an engineering company for 39 projects between December 2017 and October 2019.
The court heard that the engineering company had been engaged by The Fleming as a works contractor since 2017. The projects included air conditioning, fire services and lighting works conducted at the Fleming and a restaurant in the hotel, and the total contract sum involved amounted to about $2.3 million.
The defendant admitted that he had solicited and accepted roughly half of the net profits of the projects contracted to the works contractor. He had asked for a larger amount of rebate where staff members of The Fleming were arranged to assist the works contractor in completing those projects.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. The Fleming had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Rita Li.