Five charged by ICAC with soliciting and accepting bribes of over $200,000 from Third Runway Project construction workers
2022-8-31
Three site team leaders and two construction workers of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project) were charged by the ICAC with soliciting and accepting illegal rebates totalling over $200,000 from seven scaffolding, carpentry and bar-bending workers for securing their employment with the sub-contractor. Arising from the relevant investigation, the Commission has so far charged a total of 13 persons.
The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against illicit acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers since last year, and had earlier prosecuted nine persons for collecting illegal rebates from 16 construction workers of the Third Runway Project.
After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC recently further charged five defendants in three cases. One of them had been charged in another case earlier. The five defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (September 5) for mention.
Zhuang Huitao, 31, site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL); and Huang Dehou, 41, former construction worker of MEL, face a total of 10 charges – one of agent soliciting an advantage, four of agent accepting an advantage, and five of conspiracy for agent(s) to accept an advantage/advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Meng Zhijiang, 45, former site team leader of MEL, faces one count of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent and two counts of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages, contrary to Sections 9(2)(a) and 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. He further faces one count of conspiracy to do an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Chow Fuk-leung, 62, former site team leader of MEL; and Chan Fai-ching, 28, former construction worker of MEL, face a total of three charges – one of conspiracy for agent to solicit advantages and two of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. Recruitment was conducted mainly through referrals by construction workers. Zhuang, Meng and Chow were site team leaders respectively leading a team of construction workers performing scaffolding, carpentry and bar-bending works at the project’s construction site. Huang was a scaffolder in Zhuang’s team, while Chan was a bar-bender in Chow’s team.
The first case took place between June 2020 and March 2022. It is alleged that Zhuang had solicited an illegal rebate of $100 per working day and accepted illegal rebates totalling over $18,000 from a scaffolder of his team for assisting the latter to continue his employment with MEL.
Zhuang and Huang had also allegedly conspired together with others to accept illegal rebates totalling over $96,000 from three other scaffolders for assisting the trio to secure and continue their employment with MEL.
The second case took place between August 2020 and April 2021. Meng had allegedly conspired together with others to accept illegal rebates totalling over $66,000 from two carpenters of Meng’s team for assisting the duo to secure and continue their employment with MEL. One of the co-conspirators was a then site team leader who referred Meng to join MEL.
Meng had also allegedly offered an illegal rebate of $100 to $200 per working day to the site team leader for assisting him to secure and continue his employment with MEL.
It is also alleged that Meng had conspired with the site team leader to instruct the above two carpenters and other employees of MEL to make a false statement to ICAC officers that no rebate had been paid by MEL employees to Meng and the site team leader.
The third case took place between November 2020 and February 2021. It is alleged that Chan had conspired together with Chow for them to solicit an illegal rebate of $500 per working day from another bar-bender in Chow’s team. Meanwhile, Chow had allegedly accepted illegal rebates totalling $14,000 from the bar-bender for assisting the latter to continue his employment with MEL.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases. ICAC enquiries are continuing and further arrests and prosecutions may be made.
The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against illicit acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers since last year, and had earlier prosecuted nine persons for collecting illegal rebates from 16 construction workers of the Third Runway Project.
After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC recently further charged five defendants in three cases. One of them had been charged in another case earlier. The five defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (September 5) for mention.
Zhuang Huitao, 31, site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL); and Huang Dehou, 41, former construction worker of MEL, face a total of 10 charges – one of agent soliciting an advantage, four of agent accepting an advantage, and five of conspiracy for agent(s) to accept an advantage/advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Meng Zhijiang, 45, former site team leader of MEL, faces one count of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent and two counts of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages, contrary to Sections 9(2)(a) and 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. He further faces one count of conspiracy to do an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Chow Fuk-leung, 62, former site team leader of MEL; and Chan Fai-ching, 28, former construction worker of MEL, face a total of three charges – one of conspiracy for agent to solicit advantages and two of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. Recruitment was conducted mainly through referrals by construction workers. Zhuang, Meng and Chow were site team leaders respectively leading a team of construction workers performing scaffolding, carpentry and bar-bending works at the project’s construction site. Huang was a scaffolder in Zhuang’s team, while Chan was a bar-bender in Chow’s team.
The first case took place between June 2020 and March 2022. It is alleged that Zhuang had solicited an illegal rebate of $100 per working day and accepted illegal rebates totalling over $18,000 from a scaffolder of his team for assisting the latter to continue his employment with MEL.
Zhuang and Huang had also allegedly conspired together with others to accept illegal rebates totalling over $96,000 from three other scaffolders for assisting the trio to secure and continue their employment with MEL.
The second case took place between August 2020 and April 2021. Meng had allegedly conspired together with others to accept illegal rebates totalling over $66,000 from two carpenters of Meng’s team for assisting the duo to secure and continue their employment with MEL. One of the co-conspirators was a then site team leader who referred Meng to join MEL.
Meng had also allegedly offered an illegal rebate of $100 to $200 per working day to the site team leader for assisting him to secure and continue his employment with MEL.
It is also alleged that Meng had conspired with the site team leader to instruct the above two carpenters and other employees of MEL to make a false statement to ICAC officers that no rebate had been paid by MEL employees to Meng and the site team leader.
The third case took place between November 2020 and February 2021. It is alleged that Chan had conspired together with Chow for them to solicit an illegal rebate of $500 per working day from another bar-bender in Chow’s team. Meanwhile, Chow had allegedly accepted illegal rebates totalling $14,000 from the bar-bender for assisting the latter to continue his employment with MEL.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases. ICAC enquiries are continuing and further arrests and prosecutions may be made.