A jury on Wednesday convicted Warren Wong, who was a chief manager of the project costs division at Wharf, on nine of 13 charges of conspiracy to solicit an advantage, and Edwin Tso, a director of a company, who acted as a middleman for Wong through his contacts in the construction industry, on five out of six counts.

In giving their evidence, prosecutors said millions of dollars were paid under the table by construction firms Chun Wo and Hip Hing and a furniture company to win work on the Airport Express Kowloon Station and several luxury projects for Wharf between 1998 and 2002. Another HK$34 million was sought, but never paid.

Chun Wo Construction & Engineering Company and Hip Hing Construction Company bribed Wong to reveal secret bid information which helped them win the building contracts, prosecutor Peter Callaghan said.

He said Chun Wo won its contract for Serenade Cove in Tsuen Wan and Palm Cove in Castle Peak Bay in this way, while Hip Hing Construction Company won two projects for Kowloon Station and Hillcrest and Hillview Villas on the Peak.

The third contractor, Ping Kee Furniture Company, gave bribes to help secure work on the Marco Polo Hotel Gateway II Serviced Apartments in Tsim Sha Tsui, Galaxia in Diamond Hill and Bellagio Phase I apartments in Sham Tseng, Callaghan said.

Gammon Skanska, a Jardine Matheson and Balfour Beatty-owned company, reported Tso to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) after he approached them in 2002.

Gammon executive Ho On-sing told the ICAC that he had been asked to pay Wong HK$12 million for his help winning work on two Wharf-related projects - the Bellagio Phase II, a project of Wharf's parent Wheelock and Company Limited, and the foundations of Kowloon Station Development Package II.

The ICAC secretly recorded Tso's conversations with Ho and in December 2002 Wong and Tso were arrested.

Asked to explain to the court the bribe requests recorded on the tapes, Tso said he was was just ``bullshitting.''

Summing up the prosecution's case last week, Callaghan said: ``Members of the jury, he was bullshitting you.''

A second alleged conspirator at Wharf, Selwyn Chan, won immunity from prosecution in exchange for appearing as the main witness at the 44-day trial.

Wong and Tso were convicted largely on Chan's testimony, as well as bank records showing large payments into their personal accounts.

daniel.hilken@globalchina.com