EMSD subcontractor convicted over HK$40,000 bribe
HK01 · 6 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
A 59-year-old subcontractor director, Chan Tsz-wing (陳子榮), was convicted after trial at Eastern Court of offering an advantage to a public servant under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The case centred on a HK$40,000 cash payment made in January 2019 to former Electrical and Mechanical Services Department senior building services engineer Tse Sing-tak (謝聲德), linked to preferential treatment over two small works contracts worth about HK$91.4 million.
Key Points
- Magistrate Chu Man-hon adjourned sentencing to November 6 for a background report, while Chan was allowed to remain on bail pending sentence.
- Prosecutors said the two EMSD small works contracts were awarded between October 2016 and April 2018 to two main contractors, then subcontracted to three firms linked to Chan.
- Those three subcontractors were Mei Ah Engineering Limited, Wang Chun Engineering Limited and Sam Wo Engineering Consultant Limited, where Chan was a director and shareholder.
- The court heard Chan withdrew HK$40,000 from a bank on January 17, 2019, met Tse within about half an hour, and had lunch with him at Harbour Grand Kowloon.
- ICAC officers later found HK$40,000 cash in Tse’s office, and DNA on a rubber band around the banknotes was matched to Chan, with the court accepting expert evidence excluding secondary transfer.
Why It Matters
The ruling adds another conviction to a corruption case already involving a former EMSD engineer who earlier admitted six offences, including bribery, misconduct in public office, money laundering and possessing wealth disproportionate to income. For Hong Kong readers, the case underscores how oversight of tendering and subcontracting in public works can be compromised even where the official was not the final decision-maker.