Integrity Focus

A former bank employee and an intermediary, charged by the ICAC, were today (May 21) sentenced to jail terms of six weeks and three weeks respectively at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for soliciting and accepting bribes totalling $13,000 to expedite the process of opening personal bank accounts for six clients.

Law Tsz-hin, 31, former business sales executive of China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited (CCB (Asia)), received a jail term of six weeks; while Hu Yi, 39, sole director of Gangchen International Business Consulting (Shenzhen) Company Limited (Gangchen), was jailed for three weeks.

Law earlier pleaded guilty to four charges – one of agent soliciting an advantage; two of agent accepting an advantage and one of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. Hu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages.

In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei remarked that the court had taken into account the defendants’ guilty plea, remorse and various mitigating factors.

At the material time, Law was a business sales executive of the Central Branch of CCB (Asia). He was responsible for opening personal bank accounts and answering enquiries from clients. Gangchen was an intermediary company providing commercial secretarial and bank account opening services.

The court heard that between late April and mid-May 2023, Law solicited a bribe of $5,000 from a client and accepted bribes totalling $5,000 from two other clients for expediting the trio’s account opening process.

During the period, Law also solicited bribes totalling $3,000 from Hu for expediting the account opening process of three clients referred by the latter but he eventually accepted bribes totalling $2,000.

CCB (Asia) had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Gary Chan.