Hong Kong subcontractor who revealed bid-rigging scheme remanded into custody after being out on bail
Yau Shui-tin, who earlier confessed in court to what happened at a private Sha Tin estate, could no longer cite humanitarian grounds, judge says
A renovation subcontractor who had admitted to teaming up with others to offer HK$45 million in bribes so they could win tenders for two projects – one of which involved work at a private Sha Tin housing estate that would pay out HK$260 million – has been remanded into custody for the first time.
Yau Shui-tin, 57, pleaded guilty earlier at District Court to four counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent between 2005 and last year, becoming the first person to be convicted over building management irregularities in recent years.
Yau was due to face sentencing today, but his barrister Stephen Char Shik-ngor and the prosecutors agreed that there were technicalities to be resolved, so Judge Josiah Lam Wai-kue adjourned mitigation and sentencing to February 26.
READ MORE: ‘One small step’: Hong Kong residents of alleged bid-rigging estate see subcontractor’s confession as winning pivot in war with management
The lawyers did not elaborate on the technicalities before the judge this morning.
In court today, Char asked the judge to extend bail for Yau, who was granted it last time on humanitarian grounds. Yau’s son, whom he had with his Philippine wife, had to apply for residence in the city. After pleading guilty in October, Yau had asked for bail so that he could complete the necessary immigration procedures for his son.
Lam granted Yau’s request then, but had reservations this time as the son’s matter had been settled and in the judge’s view Char offered no new reasons for bail.
“The reason of humanitarian grounds cannot be used time after time,” said Lam, before remanding the defendant into custody.
Lam added that a jail sentence was inevitable, so the time he served on remand would later be factored into his jail term.
The court heard earlier three charges involving bidding over a renovation project at Garden Vista, which Yau admitted conspiring with six others to rig.
Earlier, the court heard, under ICAC caution, that Yau admitted he was approached in 2010 by Synergis Management Services property manager Hui Kwan-pik, who knew Yau had connections and could act as a middleman.
Subsequently a dinner was arranged in Sau Mau Ping including Lai Kwok-leung, chairman of Garden Vista’s incorporated owners; Fan Cheuk-hung, then-executive director of management firm Synergis Holdings; Wong Chi-kwong, director of consultancy firm Wong Pun and Partners; and Yeung Wing-sun, director of engineering firm Hong Dau Construction. Yau, Chung and Hui joined at the meal.
Yau admitted that on that occasion an agreement was reached for Lai to receive 10 per cent, Fan six per cent and Hui one per cent of the estate’s HK$260 million renovation bill. Dummy companies were also arranged.
In the fourth charge, it was alleged Yau conspired with at least two others to offer HK$600,000 in bribes to Ho Chi-kwong – one of the incorporated owners of the private estate Ravana Garden - between 2005 and 2007 to help one of the conspirators secure contracts, the court heard last time.
