ICAC charges contractor supervisor over bribes from migrant workers at Kai Tak hospital project
Hong Kong's ICAC has charged a subcontractor supervisor with 10 counts of accepting bribes totalling HK$75,100 from five electricians. The bribes were demanded to secure and retain their jobs at the Kai Tak hospital construction site under the Construction Industry Migrant Worker Scheme.
Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has charged a 52-year-old subcontractor supervisor with 10 counts of accepting advantages, in violation of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The case, involving alleged bribes totalling HK$75,100 from five electricians, was heard at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Court on 12 November 2026.
The defendant, employed as a 'foreman' by Yat Tak Lee Electrical Engineering Limited, was a subcontractor's supervisor on the Kai Tak Hospital construction project. The main contractor, China Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Company Limited, had engaged subcontractors under the Construction Industry Migrant Worker Scheme to hire foreign workers, including the five electricians the defendant allegedly helped recruit.
According to ICAC, the defendant demanded and received 10 bribes from the five electricians between September and November 2026. The payments, ranging from HK$9,000 to HK$23,600 per worker, were made to secure their employment as electricians on the project and to ensure their continued hiring. The electricians, who were paid a daily wage of HK$1,300, reportedly paid the bribes out of fear of losing their jobs.
An ICAC spokesperson stressed the commission's zero-tolerance approach to corruption, urging construction workers who are solicited for bribes in exchange for employment to immediately refuse and report the matter. To strengthen migrant workers' awareness of Hong Kong's anti-corruption laws, the ICAC said it would arrange anti-corruption education talks for workers within eight weeks of their arrival in the city, and continue to disseminate relevant information.
The spokesperson added that both China Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) and Yat Tak Lee had provided full assistance during the investigation. Both companies have also prohibited their employees or agents from soliciting or accepting benefits in connection with their business or operations.