The former chairman of a residential building's owners' committee has been jailed seven months by Kowloon City Magistracy for taking $75,000 in bribes over cleaning contracts.

Lee Leng-kong, 71, was also ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution to the Government. Also charged in the same case was Leong Kam-lan, 50, who was also jailed seven months.

Lee was found guilty of two counts of accepting advantages, while Leong was convicted of one count of aiding and abetting him. Magistrate Douglas Yau reprimanded Lee for abusing his position as the incorporated owners' chairman.

At the time of the offences, Lee was the chairman of the Incorporated Owners of Hing Wong Mansion. Man Mau-cho and Heung Sau-kuk, who also resided there, operated Man's Cleaning Service.

In November 2001, Lee promised to award the couple a three-year cleaning contract for the building. Lee signed a three-year contract with Man's. However, he indicated that a commission should be paid to him as the normal tenure of the contract was for one year.

On 35 occasions between December 2001 and October 2004, Man and Heung paid Lee a total of $70,000. At Lee's birthday banquet on June 7, 2004, Heung gave him a laisee packet containing $5,000, hoping to secure a further cleaning contact.