Ex-consultant of youth centre charged with $380,000 payments fraud
2018-10-10
A former consultant of a youth centre has been charged by the ICAC today (October 10) with fraud and using false quotations to obtain payments of over $380,000 in total from the youth centre and a fund under the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for an energy saving project.
Wong Tze-siu, 59, former consultant of the Jockey Club Cheung Chau Don Bosco Youth Centre (DBYC), faces four charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, and two of using false instruments, contrary to Section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistracy on Friday (October 12) for transfer to the District Court for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, the defendant was the consultant of DBYC, a non-profit-making organisation which provides educational programmes to young people.
When DBYC agreed to apply to the EPD for its Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) to conduct an energy saving project in mid-2010, the defendant was appointed as its project leader. He was authorised by DBYC to obtain quotations for selection of appropriate contractors for the project and handle the application for the ECF.
One of the charges alleges that between May 14, 2012 and April 29, 2014, the defendant failed to disclose to DBYC of his relationship with an environmental engineering company whilst he was the project leader of the energy saving project and was under a duty to make full disclosure of any existing or potential conflict with DBYC’s interest, and with intent to defraud, induced DBYC to engage the environmental engineering company to provide services for the project and paid it a total sum of $314,400 to the company, which resulted in benefit to him or prejudice to DBYC.
Two other charges allege that on or about January 7 and October 30, 2013, the defendant used false instruments, namely three false quotations purportedly issued by two other engineering companies respectively, with the intention of inducing the staff member of a vetting sub-committee under the ECF of the EPD to accept them as genuine, and by reason of so accepting them to do or not to do some act to his own or any other person’s prejudice.
Believing that the quotations were genuine, the ECF of the EPD made a payment of $19,000 to DBYC.
The remaining charge alleges that between May 12 and June 25, 2014, the defendant falsely represented to the vetting sub-committee under the ECF of the EPD that DBYC had decided to engage a construction engineering company in providing services for the plan submission to the Buildings Department, and with intent to defraud, induced the sub-committee to pay a total sum of $50,000 to DBYC, which resulted in prejudice to the Government.
The EPD and DBYC have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance on Friday.
Wong Tze-siu, 59, former consultant of the Jockey Club Cheung Chau Don Bosco Youth Centre (DBYC), faces four charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, and two of using false instruments, contrary to Section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistracy on Friday (October 12) for transfer to the District Court for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, the defendant was the consultant of DBYC, a non-profit-making organisation which provides educational programmes to young people.
When DBYC agreed to apply to the EPD for its Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) to conduct an energy saving project in mid-2010, the defendant was appointed as its project leader. He was authorised by DBYC to obtain quotations for selection of appropriate contractors for the project and handle the application for the ECF.
One of the charges alleges that between May 14, 2012 and April 29, 2014, the defendant failed to disclose to DBYC of his relationship with an environmental engineering company whilst he was the project leader of the energy saving project and was under a duty to make full disclosure of any existing or potential conflict with DBYC’s interest, and with intent to defraud, induced DBYC to engage the environmental engineering company to provide services for the project and paid it a total sum of $314,400 to the company, which resulted in benefit to him or prejudice to DBYC.
Two other charges allege that on or about January 7 and October 30, 2013, the defendant used false instruments, namely three false quotations purportedly issued by two other engineering companies respectively, with the intention of inducing the staff member of a vetting sub-committee under the ECF of the EPD to accept them as genuine, and by reason of so accepting them to do or not to do some act to his own or any other person’s prejudice.
Believing that the quotations were genuine, the ECF of the EPD made a payment of $19,000 to DBYC.
The remaining charge alleges that between May 12 and June 25, 2014, the defendant falsely represented to the vetting sub-committee under the ECF of the EPD that DBYC had decided to engage a construction engineering company in providing services for the plan submission to the Buildings Department, and with intent to defraud, induced the sub-committee to pay a total sum of $50,000 to DBYC, which resulted in prejudice to the Government.
The EPD and DBYC have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance on Friday.