[FONT=Verdana]Twenty-nine people, including three Housing Society staff, have been arrested for alleged bribery in relation to consultancy and renovation projects involving residential buildings.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The Housing Society staff was an assistant manager, a senior officer and a Property Management Advisory Centre officer.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The remaining arrestees included 10 building contractors and related staff, three property consultants and staff, eight officer bearers of incorporated owners of four residential buildings, three employees of three property management companies, and two other people.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The suspected scam allegedly involved 17 private residential buildings in Kowloon and the New Territories. The arrested Housing Society staff allegedly accepted bribes as rewards for helping the contractors secure renovation deals.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]An associate of one of the contractors and the society's senior officer were caught red-handed by Independent Commission Against Corruption officers after an alleged bribe payment changed hands.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The arrested contractors, consultants and property management company staff also allegedly offered advantages to owners' committee members in return for help in securing consultancy and renovation contracts.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]It is also suspected the contractors and consultants were involved in tender rigging over various renovation contracts of those buildings, with the corrupt collusion with owners' committee members.[/FONT]