A senior engineer and an architectural clerk have been jailed for their roles in a substandard piling scam at Tin Chung Court in Tin Shui Wai.

The Court of First Instance today meted out seven-year jail terms to Wong Shun-wah, 39, former senior manager of B+B Construction Company (formerly known as Franki Contractors) and To Man-kum, 34, former assistant clerk of works for Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates.

They were found guilty by a jury of one joint charge of conspiracy to defraud.

The court said the defendants had failed to discharge their duties properly, and had conspired to conceal in records that the piles were driven to final set.

The court heard that 585 piles were constructed at the site, and out of the 32 selected for tests, 29 were found to be up to seven metres short.

Remedial work of about $250 million, more than three times the piling cost, had to be carried out as a result of the scam.

The incident was uncovered during the summer of 1999 when lifts could not be installed due to excessive tilting of the lift shafts caused by uneven settlements.

Wong and To were arrested in an ICAC operation, following a corruption complaint from the Housing Department.