Four employees of a government-appointed vehicle inspection center have been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for allegedly running a scheme to help private cars pass their annual roadworthiness tests by faking exhaust emission results.
The anti-graft agency announced on Tuesday it had charged Wong Lap-yan, 48, the former manager of MD Motors CTC-HK Limited, with attempted fraud.
Three of the center's former testers—Lau Chi-keung, 67, Tam Kin-kwong, 67, and Robert Ho Ka-wah, 42—were jointly charged with conspiracy to defraud.
Following the ICAC's enforcement action, the Transport Department (TD) immediately stripped MD Motors of its status as a designated testing centre.
In Hong Kong, all private vehicles over six years old must pass a mandatory annual inspection before their license can be renewed.
The ICAC alleges that for two years, between June 2022 and June 2024, the accused conspired to deceive the TD by improperly conducting inspections and issuing false roadworthiness certificates.
The investigation, which began after corruption complaints were filed, revealed that the scheme specifically involved falsifying exhaust emission data.
It is believed other safety-related test results were not affected.
The four men are scheduled for their first court appearance this Thursday.
In response to the case, the Transport Department has begun implementing a series of new initiatives to prevent future malpractices.
The ICAC has also provided the department with corruption prevention recommendations, which the TD is actively implementing to strengthen the integrity of the vehicle inspection system.
