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ICAC warns of organised bribery among architects, contractors over building repairs

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Organised bribery involving architects and contractors is emerging as anti-graft officers investigate more complaints of corruption in building maintenance, the ICAC has revealed.

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There were 879 complaints against building management in the first 11 months of this year, compared with 743 during the same period last year, Andrew Chuang Siu-leung, chairman of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's operations review committee, noted.

The figure constituted 41 per cent of total complaints against the private sector.

'Investigations by the ICAC found that in building maintenance, there were signs showing syndicated bribery involving architecture firms, building maintenance companies and contractors,' Dr Chuang said in a review of the ICAC's work this year.

He said the commission would pay more attention to cases on building repairs and maintenance. 'More people will need to repair their buildings as the government is set to introduce the mandatory buildinginspection scheme.'

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The government has proposed that starting as early as 2009, compulsory checks should be carried out by qualified inspectors every 10 years to certify that private buildings of more than 30 years are safe.

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