A former cleaning company executive and a sub-contractor have been convicted by the District Court of extorting $1.9 million in wages from their workers.

Leung Chi-keung, 38, a former accounts manager of Polyking Services; and So Wai-hung, 47, a cleaning subcontractor, were found guilty on one joint charge of conspiracy to defraud. Leung was further convicted of a similar offence of conspiracy to defraud.

Co-defendant Au Wai-hung, 46, former general manager of Polyking, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud. Deputy Judge Anthony Kwok adjourned sentencing to March 25 and remanded the defendants in custody.

On July 1, 2002, Polyking was awarded a Leisure & Cultural Services Department contract, worth $9.42 million, for providing cleaning services to the Central Library for 24 months.

The contract stipulated that Polyking had to pay each day-shift worker a monthly wage of not less than $5,166, while each night-shift worker should receive not less than $3,228.

Au instructed a contract manager of Polyking to recruit day-shift workers at a monthly wage of $4,500, and night-shift staff at $2,500.

Department deceit

Au and Leung also lied to the department, saying Polyking paid its cleaning workers no less than the stipulated wages. The department therefore made monthly payments to Polyking pursuant to the contract. Out of the contract payments, $1 million was wages extorted from workers.

On November 1, 2003, Polyking secured another $17.8 million contract from the department for providing the Kowloon Park with cleaning services for a period of 36 months.

Polyking subcontracted the cleaning work of the swimming pool to So, who took up the entire Kowloon Park cleaning services from April 2004 onwards.

According to the contract, the cleaning workers should be paid a monthly wage of $5,190. Instead, Au instructed So and the contract manager of Polyking to recruit cleaning workers at a monthly wage of $4,300.

Au, Leung and So submitted to the department monthly debit notes, statements and certificates, falsely affirming that the cleaning workers had been paid not less than the salary amounts as stipulated under the contract.