A former Urban Renewal Authority assistant manager has been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption for alleged bribery and fraud over compensation for five redevelopment projects.

Chan Ling-wai, 41, was arrested by the ICAC during a corruption inquiry in April and will appear at Kowloon City Magistracy tomorrow to face a count of conspiracy to accept an advantage, and four of conspiracy to defraud.

The bribery charge alleges Chan conspired with a company director to accept bribes as reward for providing confidential information on when a project occupancy survey for a redevelopment at Larch Street, Kowloon, would be conducted by the authority.

The remaining charges allege Chan conspired with the director to defraud the authority over four other projects at Po On Road, and at Reclamation, First and Lee Tung Streets, by dishonestly disclosing to the director this confidential information.

Illicit compensation claims 

Chan is alleged to have caused the director or others to rent a premises within the boundary of the redevelopment projects before the surveys were carried out, and to apply to the authority as tenants for cash compensation in return for surrendering the properties as part of the land resumption process.

The charges further allege Chan induced the authority to approve such applications and to grant cash compensation at amounts higher than entitled.

Chan is also accused of concealing and sharing the profit generated from the scheme. Chan had allegedly defrauded the authority of about $200,000 in redevelopment compensation.

The alleged offences occurred between June 2002 and April. The defendant has been released on bail.