Three people have been jailed for up to one year for bribery in securing consultancy and renovation contracts.

Yeung Wai-wah, 33, Century Architects sales manager, received a jail term of 12 months. Cheung Man-tak, 40, a construction company sales manager, and Chow Siu-hung, 50, a property management company former senior manager, were each jailed for eight months.

Magistrate Peter Law said immediate custodial sentences instead of community service orders must be imposed on the defendants, in view of the serious offences they had committed.

Yeung earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of offering an advantage to an agent, and one of perverting the course of public justice. Cheung was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, while Chow was convicted on one count of offering an advantage to an agent.

Between August 2003 and December 2005, Yeung was responsible for promoting Century's renovation and maintenance consultancy services to buildings, the court heard.

In August 2003, Yeung and Cheung together offered a sum between $20,000 and $50,000 to a part-time clerk of the Incorporated Owners of Wing Shing House in Tsz Wan Shan as reward for assisting Century in securing a canopy-maintenance consultancy contract. Chow was found to have offered $4,000 to the part-time clerk in July 2004.

Employee persuaded not to testify

In April 2004, Yeung offered tens of thousands of dollars to a property-management company employee for helping Century boost the extent of a renovation project at On Hong Mansion in Tsz Wan Shan.