Duo charged with bribery and fraud over renovation project
2019-2-22
A renovation contractor and a former manager of a property management company have been charged by the ICAC today (February 22) with respectively bribing the manager to expedite the outstanding payment of over $540,000 for a renovation project, and conspiracy to defraud a developer by awarding the project to the contractor without quotations.
Lau Tai-chun, 62, sole proprietor of Tat Shing Engineering Co. (Tat Shing), faces one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Co-defendant Hau Chi-yuen, 42, former property manager of Jones Lang LaSalle Management Services Limited (Jones Lang LaSalle), faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy next Tuesday (February 26) for plea.
At the material time, Lau was the sole proprietor of Tat Shing, a renovation contractor. Hau was the property manager of Jones Lang LaSalle, which was engaged by the developer to provide building management service to a commercial building in Causeway Bay.
Shortly after March 2016, Hau requested Lau to convert a check meter room into an office in the commercial building. Lau did accordingly and finished the renovation work in mid-2017.
One of the charges alleges that on a day unknown in June 2017, Lau, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered a bribe of around $1,000 to Hau as a reward for expediting the payment of an outstanding service fee in the sum of over $540,000 due to Tat Shing in relation to the renovation work.
The other charge alleges that between a day in October 2017 and January 11, 2018, Hau conspired with a building engineer of Jones Lang LaSalle to defraud the developer by falsely representing that quotations had been obtained from three companies for choosing a contractor to conduct renovation work for the check meter room in the commercial building and Tat Shing was the lowest bidder among the three companies, knowing that the renovation work had already been completed by Tat Shing at a price agreed by Hau without obtaining other quotations.
Jones Lang LaSalle and the developer have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Tuesday.
Lau Tai-chun, 62, sole proprietor of Tat Shing Engineering Co. (Tat Shing), faces one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Co-defendant Hau Chi-yuen, 42, former property manager of Jones Lang LaSalle Management Services Limited (Jones Lang LaSalle), faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy next Tuesday (February 26) for plea.
At the material time, Lau was the sole proprietor of Tat Shing, a renovation contractor. Hau was the property manager of Jones Lang LaSalle, which was engaged by the developer to provide building management service to a commercial building in Causeway Bay.
Shortly after March 2016, Hau requested Lau to convert a check meter room into an office in the commercial building. Lau did accordingly and finished the renovation work in mid-2017.
One of the charges alleges that on a day unknown in June 2017, Lau, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered a bribe of around $1,000 to Hau as a reward for expediting the payment of an outstanding service fee in the sum of over $540,000 due to Tat Shing in relation to the renovation work.
The other charge alleges that between a day in October 2017 and January 11, 2018, Hau conspired with a building engineer of Jones Lang LaSalle to defraud the developer by falsely representing that quotations had been obtained from three companies for choosing a contractor to conduct renovation work for the check meter room in the commercial building and Tat Shing was the lowest bidder among the three companies, knowing that the renovation work had already been completed by Tat Shing at a price agreed by Hau without obtaining other quotations.
Jones Lang LaSalle and the developer have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Tuesday.