The ICAC charged three foremen of one subcontractor, and two construction workers, who participated in the HK International Airport’s third runway (“Runway Three”) project. They were suspected of soliciting and receiving illegal rebates totaling more than HK$200,000 (US$25,480) from seven scaffolders, carpenters, and iron-setters, in helping them secure both initial and continuous employment with MLife Engineering Limited (MEL). The ICAC has charged 13 people so far and said the investigation is still ongoing, and cannot rule out further arrests and prosecutions.
The ICAC has taken a series of enforcement actions since last year to crack down on illegal rebates from construction workers. Earlier, nine people were charged in the said “Runway Three” project, accusing them of receiving illegal rebates from 16 construction workers. After seeking further legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC has recently prosecuted five more people in three separate cases, one of whom had been charged earlier in a similar case. The five have been granted bail by the ICAC and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Sept. 5….