Integrity Focus
Recent ICAC Cases
Dec 2024Three site team leaders charged by ICAC for accepting bribes of $220,000 from Third Runway Project’s workers by blackmail
The ICAC today (December 13) charged three then site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project) for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes totalling over $220,000 from seven carpenters by blackmail.
He Yuchuan, 56; Chow Kwai-fai, 50; and Ye Zhifu, 57, all then site team leaders for carpentry works of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), face a total of 15 charges in two cases – 11 counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and four of blackmail, contrary to section 23(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending the trio’s appearance at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts next Tuesday (December 17) for plea.
An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. If they are 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.
At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. The three defendants, being site team leaders, had the authority to assign work to two teams of carpenters working at the project’s construction site. MEL did not allow any employees to solicit or accept any advantages from other employees for assisting the latter to secure their employment with the company.
In the first case which took place between September 2020 and January 2022, He and Chow had allegedly demanded bribes ranging from $100 to $350 per working day from four carpenters under his supervision, menacing to terminate the workers’ employment should they refuse to accede to the request. The duo subsequently accepted bribes totalling over $200,000 from the four workers.
In the second case, it is alleged that Ye had accepted bribes totalling over $20,000 and six cartons of cigarettes from three carpenters between February and June 2022. The carpenters worried about losing their job opportunities and reluctantly acceded to pay bribes and offer cigarettes to the defendants.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases.