Integrity Focus

A renovation contractor, charged by the ICAC, today (July 27) admitted conspiracy to defraud at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts in connection with the award of water pipe replacement project by the Incorporated Owners (IO) of a private residential building in To Kwa Wan by using false quotations. The offences were revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the ICAC.

Chan Kam-wah, 57, director-cum-shareholder of Hing Fat Building Maintenance Company Limited (Hing Fat), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law; and three counts of possessing a false instrument, contrary to section 75(2) of the Crimes Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to two other charges of possessing a false instrument against him.

Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to September 7 for mitigation and sentence, pending Chan’s background report. Chan was granted bail.

The court heard that at the material time, Harbourfield Property Management Limited (Harbourfield) provided property management service to Sunny Court, a private residential building in To Kwa Wan. Staff of Harbourfield were required to source at least three quotations from its approved contractors before conducting any renovation works worth between $10,000 and $200,000.

In 2021, Harbourfield conducted a quotation exercise for the Sunny Court to select a renovation contractor for a water pipe replacement project. IO of Sunny Court received three quotations via Harbourfield. In May 2021, the project was awarded to Hing Fat, which offered the lowest bid of $70,000.

Chan admitted that between March and May 2021, he had conspired with a then property officer of Harbourfield to defraud the IO of Sunny Court by falsely representing that the two quotations, except Hing Fat’s, were genuine and issued by two other engineering companies respectively.

The ICAC investigation, which arose from a corruption complaint, revealed that the two engineering companies concerned were not approved contractors of Harbourfield and had never submitted the two quotations.

Chan also admitted that he had possessed three other false quotations purportedly issued by one of the two engineering companies to another residential building, a commercial building and a shopping mall.

Co-defendant Lau Cheuk-yan, 41, then property officer of Harbourfield, was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud. No plea was taken today. She was granted cash bail until September 7 for mention.

Harbourfield and the IO of Sunny Court had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Potina Koo.