Six months’ jail for site team leader of Third Runway Project guilty of bribery and blackmail
2025-4-24
A site team leader of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project), charged by the ICAC, was today (April 24) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts after being convicted of accepting bribes totalling about $44,000 from a carpenter and blackmail.
Chow Kwai-fai, 50, former site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), was convicted of two charges, namely one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, and one count of blackmail, contrary to section 23(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Vivian Ho Wai-han remarked that bribery is a serious crime, warranting a custodial sentence. The court also ordered Chow to pay MEL a restitution of about $44,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received in the present case.
At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. Chow led a team of carpenters to work at the project’s construction site and had the authority to assign work to workers. MEL did not allow any employees to solicit or accept any advantages from other employees for assisting the latter to secure their employment with the company.
The court heard that between October 2020 and April 2021, Chow had requested a carpenter under his supervision to pay him a bribe of $350 per working day. Chow told the carpenter to quit the job had he refused to pay bribes. The carpenter believed that Chow would terminate him if he did not accede to Chow’s solicitation, and paid bribes totalling $44,000 to Chow reluctantly.
Another team leader, He Yuchuan, 57, charged in the present case, earlier received a jail term of seven months after pleading guilty to six counts of agent accepting an advantage. He was also ordered to pay MEL a restitution of about $160,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received from four workers.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Mickey Fung, and assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Wong.
Chow Kwai-fai, 50, former site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), was convicted of two charges, namely one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, and one count of blackmail, contrary to section 23(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Vivian Ho Wai-han remarked that bribery is a serious crime, warranting a custodial sentence. The court also ordered Chow to pay MEL a restitution of about $44,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received in the present case.
At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. Chow led a team of carpenters to work at the project’s construction site and had the authority to assign work to workers. MEL did not allow any employees to solicit or accept any advantages from other employees for assisting the latter to secure their employment with the company.
The court heard that between October 2020 and April 2021, Chow had requested a carpenter under his supervision to pay him a bribe of $350 per working day. Chow told the carpenter to quit the job had he refused to pay bribes. The carpenter believed that Chow would terminate him if he did not accede to Chow’s solicitation, and paid bribes totalling $44,000 to Chow reluctantly.
Another team leader, He Yuchuan, 57, charged in the present case, earlier received a jail term of seven months after pleading guilty to six counts of agent accepting an advantage. He was also ordered to pay MEL a restitution of about $160,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received from four workers.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Mickey Fung, and assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Wong.