Airport Third Runway Corruption Case | Airport Authority Senior Manager Convicted of Taking Bribes of 3.3 Million, Sentenced to 4 Years

ICAC uncovers corruption in the Hong Kong International Airport’s three-runway system project subcontracting contract, charging multiple individuals with bribery and corruption. One former senior manager of the Airport Authority previously admitted to accepting bribes of about HKD 3.3 million and laundering criminal proceeds of approximately HKD 5.7 million. Today, he was sentenced to four years in prison in the District Court.

The defendant, Li Yonghui, 51, former senior manager of the Airport Authority, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to accept benefits in connection with public office and six counts of money laundering. Judge Ye Tsz-man, after considering various mitigation factors, sentenced Li to four years in prison. The ICAC has applied to the court for the confiscation of his criminal proceeds, with a hearing scheduled later.

Li Yonghui was responsible for managing multiple contracts related to the three-runway project from January 2017 to August 2022, including major reclamation and third runway construction works. He also had the authority to recommend subcontractors to the main contractors. Carle Engineering Limited was the main subcontractor responsible for reclamation works, supplying fill materials and transportation services.

The case revealed that Li accepted bribes of about HKD 2.5 million from Wu Qian’an, owner of Carle, to assist Carle in securing subcontracting contracts worth over HKD 110 million. Additionally, he received HKD 800,000 in bribes from another supplier of reclamation and construction sand to help that supplier obtain procurement orders for over HKD 140 million worth of sand materials. Li also admitted to laundering criminal proceeds totaling about HKD 5.7 million, including the aforementioned bribes.

Three other defendants in the case—Wu Qian’an, owner of Carle; Liao Weijun, the project manager at Carle; and Yuen Kwok-keung, the former general manager of the Airport Authority—were previously charged with multiple bribery offenses.

Liao Weijun previously pleaded guilty. Between May and July 2022, under Wu Qian’an’s instructions, he provided bribes of HKD 100,000 each to Li Yonghui and a construction manager of the main reclamation contractor, “Da Pan,” to facilitate Carle’s work on the project.

Wu Qian’an indicated he would plead guilty earlier, involving bribery related to the subcontracting contracts for the three-runway project with Li Yonghui, Yuen Kwok-keung, and three individuals from the main reclamation contractor, Da Pan.

Liao Weijun and Wu Qian’an are scheduled for sentencing and plea-taking on September 7 in the District Court. Yuen Kwok-keung denies one count of corruption; his case is scheduled for trial on the same day.

This corruption case relates to the approval of engineering and material supply contracts, administrative, and financial matters. The ICAC’s investigation found no evidence of issues concerning project quality or material specifications. The Airport Authority has conducted a comprehensive review and found no abnormalities or deficiencies in the related works.