Hong Kong contractor claims former manager of state-owned company refused to pay him in full over building of illegal basement
But former top manager says contractor’s work was not satisfactory
A contractor accused a former senior manager of a state-owned company of refusing to pay part of the fees to build an illegal basement and also of attempting to threaten him into returning an initial payment of over HK$3 million.
But Shenzhen Nanyou Development and Construction Company’s former board chairman Qiu Shichang said the work by contractor Wong King-chiu was not up to standard.
Qiu made a report to police, accusing Wong of swindling HK$3.2 million from him. Wong, 68, on the other hand, reported to the Buildings Department about the illegal basement. A spokesman said the department had been following up on the case.
According to Wong, owner of Ming Cheung Decoration Engineering, Qiu had agreed in 2015 to pay him HK$3.35 million to build an illegal basement of about 1,100 sq ft in Qiu’s three-storey house in luxury estate The Green in Sheung Shui. Wong said the project ended up costing about HK$4 million due to Qiu’s request for extra furnishing which was not included in a quotation list signed by Qiu and Wong’s partnering company, Ming Cheung Interior Design.
Wong said Qiu, who had paid him HK$3.2 million in several instalments between 2015 and last year, refused to pay the rest.