Electrician charged by ICAC admits defrauding EMSD over registered electrical worker certificate by falsifying work experience

Following a corruption investigation which revealed that certain applicants had illegally applied for certificates of registration as electrical workers and misled the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to issue the relevant certificates by falsifying work experience, the ICAC earlier mounted an operation codenamed “Beacon Tower”, resulting in the prosecution of 20 individuals with multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud. Two of the electricians respectively entered guilty pleas today (March 30) and last week at the Magistrates’ Courts, while the case involving the remaining 18 defendants will be transferred to the District Court for plea.

Yip Man-lam, 41, electrical worker, today pleaded guilty at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts to one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law. Given the seriousness of the offence, Magistrate Miss Lau Suk-han remanded the defendant in custody of the Correctional Services Department, pending his background report and community service order report for sentence on April 13.

Any person who performs electrical installation work in Hong Kong is required to register with the EMSD as a Registered Electrical Worker. Certificates of registration are categorised in five grades, of which Grade A is classified as the elementary level (commonly known as Grade A Electrical Work Certificate). Applicants are required to meet various requirements, including possessing at least five years’ work experience in electrical work. Written proof supporting an applicant’s relevant work experience should be submitted with the application form for EMSD’s assessment.

The court heard that at the material time, Yip sought to apply for a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate from the EMSD, but he lacked of work experience to meet the requirement. Upon the introduction of a friend, Yip sought assistance from Fung Tak-lap, proprietor of K-ONE Power & Interior Design Co. (K-ONE), and paid the latter $30,000.

Later in early January 2023, Fung provided Yip with a false work experience proof issued by an electrical contractor, falsely stating that Yip was employed by that contractor between September 2016 and October 2022. Yip was eventually granted a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate in January 2023.

Another electrical worker charged in a separate case, Law Wai-ming, 61, pleaded guilty at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts last Wednesday (March 25) to one count of conspiracy to defraud, which involved conspiring with others to deceive the EMSD into granting him a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate. The case was adjourned to June 25 for sentence.

Fung, proprietor of K-ONE, 59, and 17 electrical workers aged between 37 to 66, were charged earlier in another case. Fung faces a total of 26 counts of conspiracy to defraud, while each of the remaining defendants faces one count of conspiracy to defraud. The case was adjourned to April 16 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea.

The charges allege that Fung and the 17 co-defendants had conspired together with others to defraud the EMSD by falsely representing to the EMSD that the electrical workers concerned had been employed by K-ONE or seven other engineering companies for electrical work-related jobs, thereby inducing the EMSD to approve and issue Grade A Electrical Work Certificates to the 17 electrical workers concerned.

The ICAC investigation revealed that Fung was the proprietor of K-ONE and two other electrical engineering companies implicated in the cases. He had allegedly assisted the electrical workers in falsifying proof documents supporting their five-year electrical work experience to facilitate their applications to the EMSD for Grade A Electrical Work Certificates.

The EMSD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases, and revoked the certificates of the applicants in the cases.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Freddy Cheng.

In view of the corruption risks revealed by the cases, the ICAC has completed a corruption prevention review of the EMSD’s procedures for the registration and regulation of electrical contractors and workers. The EMSD is implementing the ICAC’s recommendations to reduce the corruption risks of the associated procedures. The ICAC continues to partner with the EMSD to enhance integrity in the industry, including stepping up preventive education to curb any illegalities and irregularities.