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Phila Siu

It usually takes about two to three weeks, not just 10 days to draw up sketches for a residential project as complex as the one at the centre of the corruption trial involving Hong Kong tycoons Joseph Lau Luen-hung and Steven Lo Kit-sing, Macau's Court of First Instance heard yesterday.
Lau, chairman of Chinese Estates Holdings, and Lo, chairman of BMA Investment and convenor of the South China soccer team, are accused of offering a HK$20 million bribe to ex-public works chief Ao Man-long in 2005.
The bribe was allegedly made to help the pair secure land near Macau's airport for luxury residential project La Scala.
Lau and Lo each face one charge of bribery and one of money laundering. Ao was jailed for 29 years in May last year.
The court yesterday heard testimony from prosecution witness Li Sau-lung who worked at Chinese Estates as its head of projects management from September 2004 to June 2005. During his time at the company, he reported directly to Lau.
Li said he had visited Macau twice to inspect two pieces of land for two property projects.
In January 2005, he visited Cotai to inspect land near where The Venetian now stands. Two months later, he visited the land near the airport on which the La Scala was later built.
The prosecution had earlier questioned whether Lau and Lo had received inside information that the land near the airport would be tendered before a tender officially opened. This was because the tendering period lasted only about 10 days.
On the issue, Li said yesterday that it usually took about two to three weeks to complete the sketches for a residential project as complex as La Scala.
"It can be done in two to three weeks. As for 10 days, it depends on whether the architects gave their very best," he said. "Ten working days may be more possible. [To complete the sketches in] 10 calendar days is difficult."
Li was not involved in rendering the sketches as he had left the firm by that time. He worked at Chinese Estates for nine months.
Explaining in court the complexity involved in rendering the sketches for La Scala, Li likened the process to that of conducting a feasibility study for the land.
Lo's lawyer, Rui Sousa, challenged Li's capacity to comment on the matter, saying that the witness had worked at the company for only a short time.
Meanwhile, Lau again absented himself from the hearing yesterday, although his girlfriend Yvonne Lui Lai-kwan was there as an observer. Lo was present at the court.
The trial continues tomorrow.


Spotlight in Macau trial of tycoons turns to time taken for La Scala sketch

Steven Lo at Macau's Court of First Instance. Photo: SCMP

News

Hong Kong

Ex-employee of Joseph Lau's Chinese Estates takes the stand in tycoons' graft trial in Macau


It usually takes about two to three weeks, not just 10 days to draw up sketches for a residential project as complex as the one at the centre of the corruption trial involving Hong Kong tycoons Joseph Lau Luen-hung and Steven Lo Kit-sing, Macau's Court of First Instance heard yesterday.
