Then senior engineer of EMSD charged by ICAC jailed for five years and three months over wealth not commensurate with income, crime proceeds confiscated
2025-12-16
A then Senior Engineer of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) who handled works contracts, charged by the ICAC, was today (December 16) sentenced to five years and three months in prison at the Court of First Instance of the High Court for the offence of wealth not commensurate with income during his tenure, involving unexplained cash totalling over $7 million, with crime proceeds confiscated.
Zsa Sing-tak, 60, then Senior Building Services Engineer of the EMSD, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of being a prescribed officer maintaining a standard of living above that commensurate with his official emoluments, contrary to section 10(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
Pursuant to section 10 of the POBO, any civil servant who maintains a standard of living or has assets not commensurate with his official emoluments shall be guilty of an offence unless he gives a satisfactory explanation to the court.
Zsa earlier pleaded guilty to five other charges, namely one of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the POBO; one of misconduct in public office, contrary to the Common Law; and three of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence (commonly known as money-laundering), contrary to section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Madam Justice Amanda Jane Woodcock remarked that the offences committed by Zsa were serious in nature, affecting public works and social values. As a civil servant, Zsa should have adhered to the rules and uphold transparency when handling public works contracts, but he did not disclose his conflicts of interest and committed the offences out of greed and a lack of self-restraint.
Justice Woodcock took a starting point for sentencing at four to seven years’ imprisonment for each charge. Considering Zsa’s guilty plea and other mitigating factors, his jail term was reduced to five years and three months.
In addition, Justice Woodcock approved the prosecution’s application and issued an order for the confiscation of $3.8 million in crime proceeds from Zsa, who is required to satisfy the confiscation order within six months, failing which he will face an additional jail term of 40 months.
An ICAC spokesperson noted that the investigation into this case was extremely challenging. The previous prosecution initiated by the ICAC under section 10 of the POBO was about 30 years ago. Due to the powers and influence of civil servants, the POBO imposes stricter provisions on them to expose insidious corruption which is hard to detect. The ICAC will continue to enforce the law rigorously to crack down on the corrupt and uphold a clean civil service.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint in relation to minor works contracts of the EMSD. At the material time, Zsa was mostly posted to the Minor Works Sub-Division under the Municipal Sector Division of the EMSD. He was responsible for handling and overseeing tendering and operations of public works contracts.
The court heard that Zsa had maintained a standard of living above that commensurate with his official emoluments between January 2012 and August 2019. He received salary payments of about $9 million in total from the EMSD over the seven and a half years, but his personal expenditures amounted to about $30 million. Excluding his emoluments, personal savings and other legitimate income, at least $7 million of his expenditures had unexplained sources of funds.
The ICAC investigation revealed that multiple bank accounts of Zsa received over 200 unexplained cash deposits totalling over $7 million during the period.
Between October 2016 and April 2018, the Minor Works Sub-Division to which Zsa belonged awarded two minor works contracts worth totalling about $91.4 million to two main contractors, and the contracts were subsequently subcontracted to three subcontractors. Zsa admitted accepting a bribe of $40,000 from a man who was a director of all three companies for remaining favourably disposed to the companies.
In addition, Zsa misconducted himself by failing to declare his conflict of interest arising from his personal friendship with the director of the subcontractor in accordance with the Circular issued by the Civil Service Bureau and the Guide on Conduct and Discipline of the EMSD in the course of his management and supervision of the performance of the contractors of the two EMSD minor works contracts.
The EMSD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Matthew Hui, assisted by ICAC officers Keaton Ma and Gavin Lau.
Zsa Sing-tak, 60, then Senior Building Services Engineer of the EMSD, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of being a prescribed officer maintaining a standard of living above that commensurate with his official emoluments, contrary to section 10(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
Pursuant to section 10 of the POBO, any civil servant who maintains a standard of living or has assets not commensurate with his official emoluments shall be guilty of an offence unless he gives a satisfactory explanation to the court.
Zsa earlier pleaded guilty to five other charges, namely one of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the POBO; one of misconduct in public office, contrary to the Common Law; and three of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence (commonly known as money-laundering), contrary to section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Madam Justice Amanda Jane Woodcock remarked that the offences committed by Zsa were serious in nature, affecting public works and social values. As a civil servant, Zsa should have adhered to the rules and uphold transparency when handling public works contracts, but he did not disclose his conflicts of interest and committed the offences out of greed and a lack of self-restraint.
Justice Woodcock took a starting point for sentencing at four to seven years’ imprisonment for each charge. Considering Zsa’s guilty plea and other mitigating factors, his jail term was reduced to five years and three months.
In addition, Justice Woodcock approved the prosecution’s application and issued an order for the confiscation of $3.8 million in crime proceeds from Zsa, who is required to satisfy the confiscation order within six months, failing which he will face an additional jail term of 40 months.
An ICAC spokesperson noted that the investigation into this case was extremely challenging. The previous prosecution initiated by the ICAC under section 10 of the POBO was about 30 years ago. Due to the powers and influence of civil servants, the POBO imposes stricter provisions on them to expose insidious corruption which is hard to detect. The ICAC will continue to enforce the law rigorously to crack down on the corrupt and uphold a clean civil service.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint in relation to minor works contracts of the EMSD. At the material time, Zsa was mostly posted to the Minor Works Sub-Division under the Municipal Sector Division of the EMSD. He was responsible for handling and overseeing tendering and operations of public works contracts.
The court heard that Zsa had maintained a standard of living above that commensurate with his official emoluments between January 2012 and August 2019. He received salary payments of about $9 million in total from the EMSD over the seven and a half years, but his personal expenditures amounted to about $30 million. Excluding his emoluments, personal savings and other legitimate income, at least $7 million of his expenditures had unexplained sources of funds.
The ICAC investigation revealed that multiple bank accounts of Zsa received over 200 unexplained cash deposits totalling over $7 million during the period.
Between October 2016 and April 2018, the Minor Works Sub-Division to which Zsa belonged awarded two minor works contracts worth totalling about $91.4 million to two main contractors, and the contracts were subsequently subcontracted to three subcontractors. Zsa admitted accepting a bribe of $40,000 from a man who was a director of all three companies for remaining favourably disposed to the companies.
In addition, Zsa misconducted himself by failing to declare his conflict of interest arising from his personal friendship with the director of the subcontractor in accordance with the Circular issued by the Civil Service Bureau and the Guide on Conduct and Discipline of the EMSD in the course of his management and supervision of the performance of the contractors of the two EMSD minor works contracts.
The EMSD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Matthew Hui, assisted by ICAC officers Keaton Ma and Gavin Lau.