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Harvey Kong

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 148 people in two operations targeting bogus qualifications in the construction industry.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Wednesday that despite the fabricated qualifications, the cases had not led to any industrial accidents so far.
The body was alerted by a complaint that some people had allegedly obtained professional qualifications through corruption, ICAC Principal Investigator Glory Leung Ka-heng said.
He said the ICAC found the suspects had allegedly used false work experience documents to trick training facilities approved by the Labour Department into issuing relevant professional certificates or the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department into handing out registered certificates.
Leung said they were seeking to carry out two types of construction jobs that required professional qualifications – excavation work and electrical work.
Leung noted the cases were not related, and all suspects had been released on bail.
According to the watchdog, 111 people – 91 men and 20 women, aged between 22 and 69 – were arrested in the operation.
ICAC Chief Investigator Matchy Mak Cheung-wing said the mastermind operated a non-approved training centre in Sham Tseng that advertised guaranteed success in gaining Labour Department qualifications to operate excavators.
A large number of people were recruited without relevant experience to join his training programme, and he allegedly provided fake documents, Mak added.
The mastermind also provided false excavator experience certificates to other construction workers.
Under current government regulations, construction workers can only earn a qualification to operate an excavator through two options.
Those without any experience have to take a 50-day training course and pass a test. People with three years of experience, meanwhile, are required to take part in a two-day course set up by an organisation approved by the department and pass a test.
Mak said the mastermind took advantage of the latter method and falsified the excavator operation experience for his students with the help of owners or staff members of five construction companies, allowing them to receive their qualification in a shorter time frame.
She added that the investigation revealed that more than 100 workers used false experience certificates when applying, all originating from the five construction companies.
Mak said that beyond those workers already arrested, they were also looking for others.

The other operation, which targeted electrician qualifications, resulted in the arrest of 37 men, aged between 30 and 70 – the mastermind, the operators of four construction companies and 32 workers.
In that case, the qualifications involved were on an entry-level basis with applicants required to have at least five years of experience as an electrician, where they must either possess certificates for having studied the subject or passed a trade test.
ICAC Chief Investigator Joan Wong Chuk-ying said the mastermind was found to have hosted training courses to attract people who wanted to become electricians or those without enough work experience.
Each course participant was charged about HK$20,000 for fake documents showing they had five years of experience, with the mastermind also working with other construction companies to create the papers.
Wong said some electricians involved in the case had received their qualifications as early as 2018.
Leung said the Labour Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) had offered their full cooperation.
He added that the investigations showed that the two cases only involved a small number of individuals who attracted people without relevant work experience to accept their services so they could gain qualifications illegally.
“In the current stage of our investigation, none of the arrested people in the two law enforcement operations were found to have caused industrial accidents in their previous work,” he said.
Leung said the two departments had already started a review, where they looked at the fake certificates and qualification applications.
They had also started the process of suspending the qualifications of those involved.
The EMSD said it had immediately launched an investigation, adding it found that some electricians had obtained their qualifications through improper means.
“The EMSD, therefore, cancelled the registration of the grade A electrical workers concerned in accordance with the Electricity Ordinance,” a spokesman said.
The department also said it had immediately strengthened its vetting and approval procedures, including dispatching staff to the office of issuing organisations to verify applicants’ work experience.
The Labour Department also said it had launched an investigation to examine whether training course providers and their staff had complied with conditions for approving such programmes.
It also announced the revocation of 100 certificates for excavator operators involved, as well as reviewing the admission mechanism for their training course providers and further enhancing it based on advice from the ICAC.


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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong corruption-buster arrests 148 for allegedly faking construction work experience

The ICAC has arrested 148 people for allegedly faking their work experience. Photo: Jelly Tse

The ICAC has launched two operations against bogus qualifications in the construction industry. Photo: Elson Li

ICAC, antitrust watchdog arrest 5 in Hong Kong over construction fraud, bid-rigging

At a press briefing, the ICAC and Competition Commission show an illustration explaining how the alleged construction bid-rigging worked. Photo: Jelly Tse

Investigators of the ICAC and Competition Commission, including Bill Ng (holding tag) and Felix Au (second from right), at a press briefing on their joint operation against an alleged construction fraud syndicate. Jelly Tse

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The Independent Commission Against Corruption earlier revealed government employees were among eight suspects arrested in a bribery case. Photo: Jelly Tse

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung has said there is “no room for misunderstanding or confusion” among government employees over procurement policy. Photo: Edmond So

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

ICAC finds suspects used false work experience documents to cheat government into issuing relevant professional certificates


ICAC finds suspects used false work experience documents to cheat government into issuing relevant professional certificates.
