Integrity Focus

In recent years, the ICAC has taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of bribe payments from construction workers. Today (April 16) two more former employees of the main contractor and a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project) were charged by the ICAC with accepting bribes of over $200,000 from an asphalt worker in relation to his employment with the sub-contractor. Arising from the relevant investigation, the Commission has so far charged a total of 28 persons, involving bribe payments totalling over $1.6 million.

Paul Yu Wai-lun, 45, former foreman of SAPR JV; and Chan Ming-cheong, 39, former worker of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), jointly face one count of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.

The duo were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday (April 18) for plea.

The present case took place between January 2021 and June 2022. At that time, SAPR JV was the main contractor of the Third Runway Project and its sub-contractor MEL was responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. Yu was a foreman of SAPR JV overseeing asphalt workers, including Chan, at the project’s construction site. Since January 2021, an asphalt worker started to work for the project at a daily wage of over $1,400 with overtime allowances.

It is alleged that at the material time, Yu and Chan conspired together to accept bribe payments totalling over $200,000 from the aforementioned worker for assisting him to continue his employment with MEL.

ICAC enquiries revealed that Yu and Chan allegedly solicited from the worker a daily bribe ranging from over $250 to $450 together with part of his overtime allowances. The worker acceded to their request in the following one and a half years to avoid from being terminated by the defendants.

The ICAC has so far charged 28 people, most of whom were site team leaders of a sub-contractor, for collecting bribes totalling over $1.6 million from more than 130 workers of the Third Runway Project. Twenty-one defendants had pleaded guilty or were found guilty after trial, receiving sentences up to 16 months in jail. Two others are awaiting plea or trial.

An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. Should they be asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should reject and report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366. The ICAC calls on construction companies to adopt the Integrity Risk Management (IRM) Toolkit on recruitment of workers produced by the ICAC to formulate and implement control measures to mitigate integrity risks on recruitment of workers, uplift the integrity management capability and uphold professionalism of the construction industry. IRM Toolkit on recruitment of workers is available at cpas.icac.hk/EN/Info/TP_Library?cate_id=10027.

The Airport Authority Hong Kong, SAPR JV and MEL have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.