1 year prison for architect who paid $100K in bribes to Honolulu building permit officials

HONOLULU (AP) — An architect has been sentenced to a year in prison for paying more than $100,000 in bribes to Honolulu city employees in exchange for expediting approval of his projects. Five workers were charged in 2021 and accused of taking bribes in exchange for favors, including expediting building permits. The scandal has prompted the department to overhaul its permitting process. Wong has said in court that he regrets caving under pressure and participating in the corruption. Hawaii News Now reports his lawyer says Wong played a major role in exposing the scandal by cooperating in the investigation.