21 held in Hong Kong over renovation bid-rigging, including HK$33 million deal
Twenty-one people have been arrested in a crackdown by Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency on a triad-linked syndicate accused of manipulating renovation project tenders at two residential estates in Kwun Tong, with one contract valued at about HK$33 million (US$4.2 million). The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Friday that 15 men and six women,…
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Friday that 15 men and six women, aged 30 to 81, were apprehended last week in connection with the case, including suspected core members of the ring.
Among those detained were middlemen, project consultants, contractors and members of incorporated owners’ groups, some of whom were believed to have ties to triad societies.
The arrests follow the devastating Tai Po fire in November, which killed 161 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. The blaze heightened public concern about bid rigging at residential estates and possible corruption in the renovation industry.
It is understood that the two housing complexes in Kwun Tong are Tsui Ping (North) Estate and Hopewell House.
While the ICAC did not disclose the names of the estates, it said that in one project, a contractor allegedly bribed project consultants and certain members of an incorporated owners group through middlemen to secure a contract worth around HK$33 million.
