Why not prosecute the others? Residents of Hong Kong estate at centre of bid-rigging scandal ask why 7 arrested, only 1 charged
District Court heard that others were arrested but none have been charged; anti-graft agency says investigations are continuing
Residents affected by a rigged renovation project at a private Sha Tin housing estate urged the city’s anti-corruption watchdog on Thursday to take firm action against potential co-conspirators, as they complained about substandard and unfinished work for which they paid HK$260 million.
Renovation subcontractor Yau, 57, was sentenced to 35 months in jail on Thursday by the District Court. He turned himself into the ICAC to reveal that he had conspired with six others, which eventually led to HK$45 million being paid to some of them.
The court heard the six involved were the chairman of the estate’s incorporated owners, Lai Kwok-leung; Synergis Management Services property manager Hui Kwan-pik; former executive director of management firm Synergis Holdings Fan Cheuk-hung; director of consultancy Wong Pun and Partners Wong Chi-kwong; director of engineering firm Hong Dau Construction Yeung Wing-sun; and Chung Wai-keung, a shareholder of T.S. Tam Architects.
The court heard on Thursday that some had been arrested, though no charges had been laid.
Yau admitted in court earlier that in an agreement for Wong and Yeung’s companies to win the bid, Lai, Fan and Hui would be awarded 10 per cent, 6 per cent and 1 per cent respectively of the estate’s HK$260 million renovation bill. But the court did not hear whether the trio actually took the money.
Outside court, resident Chan said Yau, who unearthed the plot and received a flurry of mitigation letters from affected residents, played only a minor role.
He said he and his fellow residents were “very confused” as to why no others, apart from Yau, had been charged.
A spokesman for the ICAC said investigations were still being carried out and it would be inappropriate to comment on the matter.
The residents of some 840 flats in the six residential blocks each had to shoulder between HK$200,000 and HK$340,000, depending on the size of their flat, for the renovation, the Post has learned.
Chan said they were informed in July that the renovation work, which commenced in 2013 and was meant to take 420 days, had been completed.
But the resident complained about pipe work that was not completed and a strings of other flaws. “We were very shocked when we saw it,” he said.
Another resident, Mr Chung, who paid HK$340,000 for the renovation work, said the car park was still leaking.
Chan accused incorporated owners chairman Lai, who could not be reached for comment, of failing to reveal what was happening.
The residents have also been locked in civil lawsuits with the incorporated owners and Synergis Holdings, which in turn is suing resident Jackson Xu Zhao-ze for defamation.
