Integrity Focus

A then foreman of a subcontractor of the Three-Runway System Project (3RS Project) of the Hong Kong International Airport was charged by the ICAC yesterday (January 2) for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes totalling over $16,000 from three bar-benders of the Terminal 2 expansion work for assisting them to continue their employment and assigning overtime work to earn extra payments.

Ko Chun-yin, 31, then foreman of Ho Chau & Sons (HK) Engineering Limited (HCL), faces four counts of agent soliciting an advantage and seven counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (January 6) for plea.

At the material time, HCL was a subcontractor of the Terminal 2 expansion work of the 3RS Project. The defendant was a foreman of HCL responsible for leading a team of bar-benders and assigning work to them. Should workers be required to work overtime, they would be paid 1.5 to two times of the standard hourly rate. HCL prohibited its employees from soliciting or accepting any advantages from others in relation to its business and affairs.

It is alleged that between April 2022 and February 2023, the defendant had respectively solicited from three bar-benders bribes of $100 per working day or an unspecified amount of “tea money” for assisting them to continue their employment with HCL. During the period, the defendant had allegedly accepted bribes totalling $7,300 from the trio.

The defendant had also allegedly accepted a bribe of $6,000 from one of the bar-benders for arranging him to perform overtime work to earn extra payments.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the workers believed that the defendant had the authority to dismiss them. The trio reluctantly paid bribes to the defendant as they worried about losing their jobs. One of the workers was dismissed on the spot after he refused to pay a bribe of $3,000 solicited by the defendant.

HCL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.