Trio in court for offering $600,000 bribes over small house projects
2017-9-5
A developer and his two associates appeared in the Shatin Magistracy today (September 5) after being charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to offer bribes totalling $600,000 to a village resident representative for not opposing small house development projects of the developer in a village in Tai Po.
The defendants were developer Chan Kam-biu, 62, director-cum-shareholder of Rockent Development Limited (Rockent), and his two associates, Ho Nin-sung, 58, and Lam Yick-ling, 59, both retired.
Chan, Ho and Lam, who were charged last Friday (September 1), faced two joint counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Colin Wong Sze-cheung transferred the case to the District Court for plea on September 26 this year.
At the material time, Chan was a director-cum-shareholder of Rockent, a property and land developer. He intended to build 10 small houses in Lai Chi Shan Village in Tai Po.
One of the charges alleged that between July 1, 2016 and January 19, 2017, Chan, Ho and Lam conspired together, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to offer a bribe of $60,000 to a resident representative of the village as a reward for him withdrawing an objection he had filed on behalf of the residents of the village with the Lands Department regarding a small house application.
The other charge alleged that during the same period, Chan, Ho and Lam conspired together, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to offer another bribe of $540,000 to the village resident representative as a reward for refraining from raising any objection on behalf of the villagers to the applications for building nine small houses at the village, which Chan had been authorised to handle and process with the Lands Department.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $ 20,000. They were ordered to surrender their travel documents, not to leave Hong Kong, reside at their reported addresses, and not to interfere with any prosecution witnesses.
The Lands Department had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Chacha Chan.
The defendants were developer Chan Kam-biu, 62, director-cum-shareholder of Rockent Development Limited (Rockent), and his two associates, Ho Nin-sung, 58, and Lam Yick-ling, 59, both retired.
Chan, Ho and Lam, who were charged last Friday (September 1), faced two joint counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Colin Wong Sze-cheung transferred the case to the District Court for plea on September 26 this year.
At the material time, Chan was a director-cum-shareholder of Rockent, a property and land developer. He intended to build 10 small houses in Lai Chi Shan Village in Tai Po.
One of the charges alleged that between July 1, 2016 and January 19, 2017, Chan, Ho and Lam conspired together, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to offer a bribe of $60,000 to a resident representative of the village as a reward for him withdrawing an objection he had filed on behalf of the residents of the village with the Lands Department regarding a small house application.
The other charge alleged that during the same period, Chan, Ho and Lam conspired together, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to offer another bribe of $540,000 to the village resident representative as a reward for refraining from raising any objection on behalf of the villagers to the applications for building nine small houses at the village, which Chan had been authorised to handle and process with the Lands Department.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $ 20,000. They were ordered to surrender their travel documents, not to leave Hong Kong, reside at their reported addresses, and not to interfere with any prosecution witnesses.
The Lands Department had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Chacha Chan.