The foundations of a commercial complex on the airport railway were left 'seriously defective' in a fraud to save costs and time, a court heard yesterday.
Only five of the 87 piles which formed part of the foundations for the northern site development of Hong Kong Station in Central were constructed to the correct depth and specifications, prosecutor Kevin Zervos told the District Court.
The shortfall in the other 82 piles ranged from one to 15 metres, or two to 30 per cent of the prescribed lengths originally approved by the Buildings Department.
'As a consequence, the percentage of the bored piles within the rock stratum was considerably shorter and thus created an extremely dangerous and hazardous situation,' Mr Zervos said.
'The foundations were rendered seriously defective to support a major development and substantial reconstruction of the foundations running into many millions of dollars had to be carried out.' Engineer Wong Ka-wing, 27, who supervised the construction of the piles, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to defraud.
Co-accused Leung Yee-tai, 36, a foreman, also admitted the offence.
Wong is to become a prosecution witness at the trial of a further six people, from whom no plea has been taken.