Integrity Focus

A former manager of an interior design and renovation company, charged by the ICAC, was today (August 8) sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment at the District Court for fraud and theft involving a total of over $3.5 million. The offences were revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the Commission.

Amy Mak Man-yee, 45, former administration and account manager of Hei Design Limited (Hei Design), earlier pleaded guilty to a total of 18 charges – eight of fraud and 10 of theft, respectively contrary to section 16A and section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

In sentencing, Judge Ms Kathie Cheung Kit-yee reprimanded the defendant for her breach of trust, noting that the offences had lasted a long period and involved a considerable sum of money, warranting an immediate custodial sentence. The Judge took a starting point of 64 months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term by one-fourth in view of the defendant’s guilty plea.

Hei Design was an interior design and renovation company. At the material time, the defendant was responsible for the company’s daily accounting work, including preparing cheques for her employer to sign so as to arrange payments to its suppliers and contractors.

The court heard that between April 2017 and April 2019, the defendant had falsely represented to her employer on eight occasions that 20 cheques prepared by her were payable to a furniture supplier and two decoration contractors of Hei Design.

As a result, the defendant’s employer signed on the 20 cheques involving sums totalling about $1.8 million. ICAC investigation revealed that the cheques were subsequently deposited into the defendant’s own bank accounts or used to pay decoration and furniture purchase fees for her two companies.

In addition, during the above period, the defendant had also stolen 10 sums of money totalling over $1.7 million from Hei Design by depositing 10 other cheques into her bank account. ICAC enquiries revealed that the defendant’s employer was the sole signatory of all bank accounts of the company, but the 10 cheques were not signed by him.

Hei Design had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Wong Hay-yiu, assisted by ICAC officer Andy Yip.