A former general manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation wept during an interview with graft investigators as he admitted taking almost $3 million from the director of an architectural consulting firm, a court heard yesterday.
But Cheung King-fung, 45, denied the money, received in 14 payments between July 1998 and August last year, was taken as bribes from Kwan Wing-hong, of Kwan & Associates Architects Ltd, to ensure the firm secured 23 contracts. Cheung said the money was just a loan, the District Court was told.
Cheung has been charged with 14 counts of accepting an advantage as a public agent, one of forgery and one of conspiracy to defraud. The former manager of the Property Development Department of the KCRC denied the allegations.
Judge Fergal Sweeney was shown a taped interview of Cheung conducted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). In the tape, Cheung admitted taking almost $3 million from Mr Kwan, who was granted immunity by the ICAC in exchange for testifying against Cheung.
In the ICAC interview, Cheung told investigators the payments had no relation to the 23 contracts totalling more than $9.7 million assigned to Kwan & Associates between July 1998 and August last year. 'The payments were only loans,' said Cheung, who admitted he had not repaid Mr Kwan.
Towards the end of the November 16 interview last year, Cheung wept and said he was remorseful.