Integrity Focus

A then senior property manager of a property management company and his wife were today (August 4) brought to the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts after being charged by the ICAC with stealing minor works payments of a public housing estate totalling over $530,000. The offence was revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the Commission.

Lee Ho-yin, 44, former senior property manager of Easy Living Consultant Limited (Easy Living), and his wife Bianca Ho Sin-wan, 42, were yesterday (August 3) jointly charged with one count of theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

No plea was taken today. Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to November 3 for mention. The defendants were granted bail.

At the material time, Easy Living provided property management services to Lower Wong Tai Sin (2) Estate, a public housing estate. Lee was a senior property manager of Easy Living posted to the estate in charge of the services provided there.

Easy Living operated a bank account for settling maintenance works and recurring expenses for the estate. To withdraw funds less than $60,000 from the bank account, joint signatures of two authorised signatories of the company were required. Lee was one of the authorised signatories.

It was alleged that between September 2019 and September 2021, Lee and Ho stole sums totalling over $530,000 from the bank account.

ICAC enquires revealed that during the abovementioned period, Easy Living issued 14 cheques payable to two contractors to settle various minor works payments. The 14 cheques in the sum ranging from about $14,000 to $50,000 each were eventually deposited into the personal bank accounts of the couple.

Easy Living had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Patrick Yu.

The ICAC makes efforts to promote integrity to property management companies and practitioners, such as launching a multi-year programme on professional ethics and Integrity, and producing educational materials to enhance practitioners’ awareness on corruption prevention. The Commission also provides tailor-made corruption prevention advice to property management companies so as to reduce risks of corruption and malpractices in their businesses. Property management companies could also refer to the toolkit on building financial management produced by the ICAC.