Integrity Focus

The Hong Kong ICAC had earlier charged two representatives of two air-conditioning maintenance contractors for allegedly offering bribes of over HK$1 million to a then director of a hotel group for maintenance contracts of a hotel in Macao involving a total of around HK$34 million. One of the duo today (September 11) admitted bribery at the District Court.

Li Kin-wang, 59, senior sales manager of Oh Luen Air Conditioning Equipment Limited (Oh Luen), pleaded guilty to five charges – three of offering advantage to an agent and two of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. His four other charges of offering advantages to an agent were left on file at the District Court.

Judge Mr Frankie Yiu Fun-che adjourned the case to September 18 for mention and granted Li bail.

At the material time, Oh Luen and Wai Luen Air-conditioning Limited (Wai Luen) were companies respectively established in Macao and Hong Kong for providing air-conditioning installation and maintenance services to customers. Both companies were operated by the same proprietor.

Since 2013, Oh Luen had been an approved supplier of Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. (Wynn), which operated hotels and casinos in Macao. Wynn prohibited its staff from soliciting or accepting advantages from suppliers when discharging their duties.

Li admitted that since 2014, he started to pay bribes to a then director of Wynn upon solicitation for obtaining the opportunities for Oh Luen to submit quotations or tenders to Wynn over air-conditioning system maintenance services.

Facts admitted by Li revealed that he offered three bribes totalling over HK$450,000 to the director by cheque or bank transfer between June 2014 and July 2015. During the period, the businesses between Oh Luen and Wynn increased.

Between November 2016 and January 2017, Li also conspired with a then director of Wai Luen to pay two bribes totalling HK$560,000 to the director.

Hong Kong ICAC enquiries revealed that between 2014 and 2017, Wynn had awarded numerous air-conditioning maintenance contracts worth around HK$34 million in total to Oh Luen.

The then director of Wai Luen concerned pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent. The trial against him commenced at the District Court today.

The Macao Commission Against Corruption and Wynn had rendered full assistance to the Hong Kong ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Douglas Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Leung Po-shan.