Integrity Focus

A then foreman of a sub-contractor of the Drainage Services Department (DSD) was charged by the ICAC yesterday (July 24) with accepting bribes and defrauding money totalling around $50,000 from workers under his supervision and blackmail.

Xiao Qisheng, 57, former foreman of Kong Power Engineering Limited (Kong Power), faces five charges–three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and one of obtaining property by deception and one of blackmail, contrary to sections 17(1) and 23(1) of the Theft Ordinance.

The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 26) for plea.

When the offences took place between November 2019 and March 2021, Kong Power was a sub-contractor of a drainage maintenance and construction project of the DSD. The defendant was a foreman at the construction site of the project, who was responsible for leading and supervising workers. He would also introduce workers to work at the construction site.

It is alleged that the defendant accepted bribes totalling over $45,000 from three workers and took into account the relevant advantages when exercising his authority as foreman in relation to the assignment of work and dismissal of workers. He also allegedly made an unwarranted demand of daily payment of $100 from one of the workers with menaces.

The defendant also defrauded a second worker among the trio of about $4,000 by making false representation that the sum was the latter’s contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund.

In recent years, the ICAC has taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers and launched a series of relevant publicity and education programmes. 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.

Kong Power has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.