A laboratory technician admitted he was “lazy” and trying to cover up mistakes when he falsified concrete test reports on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, a court heard on Friday.
Wong Kwok-yiu, 61, is among 19 employers of contractor Jacobs China Limited (JCL) charged earlier this year in relation to the scandal over building material tests for the 55 kilometer crossing, which has been under construction since 2011.
The former JCL site laboratory technician pled guilty to two charges of using false instruments, contrary to Section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance, according a statement by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which investigated the case.
Tuen Mun Court heard that on two occasions between September 2012 and June 2015, Wong used high-strength concrete, instead of test concrete from the bridge, to carry out compression tests.
He did this to replace the results of two original tests that had “performed unsatisfactorily” due to “his poor workmanship”. The reports were submitted to superiors as genuine.
The SCMP quoted Wong’s lawyer as saying his client cheated out of laziness and for fear he would get in trouble for his mistakes.
The lawyer said no bribery was involved and the test cubes had, in fact, met the required standard.
Acting Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui Yee-mei adjourned the case to Dec. 1 for sentencing, pending a background report.
Another 18 people face one count of conspiracy to defraud in relation to false concrete compression tests and will appear in the district count on Dec. 7. The group has not yet been required to make a plea.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, a combination of bridges and a tunnel, has been plagued by delays and a ballooning price tag that has now reached HK$117 billion (US$15 billion).
There have also been more than 270 safety incidents, leading to the deaths of 10 workers and at least 600 injuries, the SCMP reported.
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