Macau graft probe reveals last-minute changes to development plans

Chinese Estates instructed an architecture firm to change completed development plans a month before tender opened for five plots of land near the Macau airport in 2005, a Macau court heard on Wednesday in a trial involving tycoons Joseph Lau Luen-hung and Steven Lo Kit-sing.

Lau, Chairman of Chinese Estates, and Lo, chairman of BMA Investment and convenor of the South China soccer team, are accused of offering a HK$20 million bribe to ex-public works chief Ao Man-long in exchange for securing the land near Macau’s airport for luxury residential project La Scala.

They each face one charge of bribery and one of money laundering. Ao was jailed for 29 years in May last year.

The court heard that architecture firm Hsin Yieh completed a rough development plan for the land in February, 2005. But three months later, Chinese Estates told Hsin Yieh they wanted to amend the plans, giving instructions on June 9, a week before tender opened on June 16.

Leung Wah-tat, an architect for Hsin Yieh, said the initial changes concerned general design, such as an increase in green space and the use of water elements. On June 18, Hsin Yieh received further changes including height restrictions.

The firm then rendered drawings for the bid based on the February design and submitted the plans to Jones Lang LaSalle, which represented Moon Ocean in the bid, on June 25. Moon Ocean was then owned by Lo, and was later bought out by Lau.