Integrity Focus

A then team leader of a bar-bending sub-contractor was charged by the ICAC yesterday (July 5) for allegedly accepting bribes of over $20,000 from a worker in three months for keeping the latter’s employment with the sub-contractor.

Pun Yui-ki, 44, former team leader of Wong Tsang Engineering Company Limited (Wong Tsang Engineering), faces four charges – three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and one of theft, contrary to Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 7) for plea.

At the material time, the defendant was a team leader of Wong Tsang Engineering. He was responsible for supervising workers to work at the construction sites of two projects. In early March 2021, he referred a man to join Wong Tsang Engineering as a semi-skilled worker at a daily wage of $1,500.

It is alleged that between April and June 2021, the defendant accepted from the semi-skilled worker three bribes totalling $20,600 for assisting the latter to keep his employment with Wong Tsang Engineering.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the defendant allegedly solicited a bribe of $400 per working day from the semi-skilled worker, who resigned from Wong Tsang Engineering in mid-July as the defendant kept soliciting bribes from him.

In addition, the defendant also allegedly stole $12,000 from the semi-skilled worker in August 2021. Enquiries revealed that the defendant allegedly cashed a salary cheque of the semi-skilled worker and pocketed $12,000 which was the latter’s wages earned in July 2021.

Wong Tsang Engineering has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. Should they be asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366.

The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers in recent years. In order to promote the anti-corruption message “Don’t pay illegal rebates” among construction workers, the ICAC has launched a series of publicity and education programmes, including a new online video entitled “Don’t tolerate illegal rebates! Report corruption!”. Construction practitioners can visit the relevant webpage of the ICAC’s Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre to obtain more corruption prevention information.