Hong Kong corruption watchdog arrests 7 over rigged maintenance project tender

Syndicate suspected of targeting large maintenance project involving undisclosed conflicts of interest and contractor who doubled as consultant Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested seven people linked to a syndicate that allegedly targeted large maintenance projects with undisclosed conflicts of interest and a contractor who served in a dual role as consultant. The watchdog said it had launched its investigation after receiving a complaint alleging possible corruption in the tendering exercise for a grand maintenance project of a single block in Mong Kok. It found that the project contractor’s owner allegedly controlled the project consultancy firm through his associates, secured the consultancy contract for the grand maintenance project at a low price, and concealed his dual roles as project contractor and consultant with intent to induce the incorporated owners to choose his company for the project. The watchdog found that the consultancy firm had failed to declare its conflict of interest, while the chairman of the incorporated owners’ committee was also suspected to have known about the issue and concealed it.

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