CHRIS LAU CHRIS.LAU@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 27 October, 2015, 10:30am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 27 October, 2015, 10:30am
Garden Vista in Sha Tin. Photo: Sam Tsang
A renovation subcontractor this morning admitted his role in two alleged bid-rigging plots for teaming up with others to offer HK$45 million in bribes – one of which involves the controversial renovation work at a private housing estate in Sha Tin.
Yau Shui-tin, 57, pleaded guilty at the District Court to four counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent.
Between 2010 and last year, Yau conspired with the chairman of Garden Vista’s incorporated owners, Lai Kwok-leung; then executive director of its management company Synergis Holdings, Fan Cheuk-hung, and his colleague Hui Pik-kwan; director of its consultancy firm Wong Pun and Partners, Wong Chi-Kwong; director of its engineering company Hong Dau, Yeung Wing-sum; and Chung Wai-keung, so that Lai, Fan and Hui would receive – respectively, 10 per cent, 6 per cent, and 1 per cent – of the Sha Tin residential estate’s HK$260 million renovation fees.
It is alleged Yau then provided information to Chung, Wong and Yeung in helping them to secure consultancy and renovation contracts.
Yau, the only one who has been charged, faces three charges for that.
The remaining charge alleges Yau conspired with at least two others to offer Ho Chi-kwong, a member of the Ravana Garden private housing estate’s incorporated owners, HK$600,000 in bribes between 2005 and 2007, in a bid to assist one of the conspirators to secure contracts.
But prosecutor Wong Hay-yiu said the prosecution would not pursue a separate charge, given Yau had pleaded guilty to the other four. The charge alleges Yau conspired with a director of a consultancy firm to offer Alico Management manager Cheng Kam-kong a sum totalling HK$96,000 for the Wa Lai Building project.
The public gallery is filled today by Garden Vista residents.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1872653/building-sub-contractor-admits-role-hk45m-bid-rigging-plots
