Hong Kong sub-contractor 'paid HK$44m bribes in building project bid-rigging'
Accused allegedly gave bribes to win building renovation contracts
A subcontractor accused of teaming up with his accomplices to pay more than HK$44 million in bribes to rig the bids for three building renovation projects in Sha Tin and To Kwa Wan made his first appearance in Kowloon City Court yesterday.
According to a court document, Yau Shui-tin, 57, and his co-conspirators allegedly paid sweeteners to several people between 2005 and last year to acquire information. The information assisted them in securing consultancy and renovation contracts at Garden Vista and Ravana Garden, two private housing estates in Sha Tin, and at Wa Lai Building in To Kwa Wan, the document alleges.
Yau was not required to make a plea yesterday and the case was transferred to the District Court. The Independent Commission Against Corruption said he was the proprietor of an engineering company at the time of the offences.
According to the court document, Yau's most recent offence took place between 2010 and last year, during which the defendant - together with three others - allegedly offered 1 per cent and 6 per cent of the project fee for the Garden Vista project to Hui Kwan-pik of Synergis Management Services and Fan Cheuk-hung of Synergis Holdings respectively.
The alleged bribes amounted to HK$17.6 million, according to the ICAC.
The chairman of the estate's incorporated owners, Lai Kwok-leung, was also allegedly given HK$26 million -10 per cent of the project fee - according to the charge sheet and the graft buster.
In a separate charge, Yau and at least two others were accused of paying Ho Chi-kwong, a member of Ravana Garden's incorporated owners, HK$600,000 in bribes between 2005 and 2007.
At some point between 2006 and 2007, Yau and a director of a consultancy firm allegedly paid Alico Management manager Cheng Kam-kong a sum totalling HK$96,000 for the Wa Lai Building project, according to the court document.
Magistrate Dr Eric Cheung Kwan-ming granted bail to Yau, who will appear in the District Court on July 24.
Outside court, a group of Garden Vista residents staged a protest against bid-rigging.
Democratic Party chief executive Lam Cheuk-ting - also the spokesman of the Property Owners' Anti Bid-Rigging Alliance - urged the government to set up a task force to regulate tendering practices.
