Four people appeared in Eastern Court yesterday for allegedly conspiring to defraud the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in seven cleaning contracts worth more than $106 million.
The defendants were Ha Kam-kaye, 71, general manager of Wai Hong Waste Management, Wong Siu-sing, 42, operator of A&T Service Company, Ng Wai-ming, 38, proprietor of Ming Kee Cleaning Services, and Tam Man-kwong, 56, proprietor of Wai Shing Cleaning Company.
Ha faced three counts of conspiracy to defraud, while the other three were each charged with one similar offence.
No pleas were taken and Magistrate Ian Candy adjourned the case until November 3 pending transfer to the District Court.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption says Ha's company recruited A&T, Ming Kee and Wai Shing as subcontractors to carry out Food and Environmental Hygiene Department cleaning contracts for Wai Hong.
The charges allege Ha and Wong conspired with other persons to defraud the department by falsely representing that Wong and the cleaning workers recruited by him were all employees of Wai Hong.