Integrity Focus

A funeral agent, earlier charged by the ICAC, was today (July 4) convicted at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts of offering a bribe of $3,000 to a fellow church member of a deceased elderly person for securing the business of the latter’s after-death arrangements.

Chak Kwok-hung, 43, sales agent of Endless Love Care Service Company Limited (Endless Love), was found guilty of one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

In convicting the defendant, Deputy Magistrate Mr Jeffrey Lai said that Chak’s intention to commit the offence was obvious and he regarded such illegal behaviour as a “common practice” in his trade. He ordered the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department, and adjourned the case to July 18 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report and mitigation.

The court heard that on March 6, 2023, an elderly person residing in a private residential care home passed away. Prior to his death, the elderly person had given several ten thousand dollars to two fellow church members and entrusted them to take care of his funeral arrangements. Upon learning that unbeknownst to them, Endless Love had taken up the funeral arrangements of the deceased on the same day of his passing, one of the church members visited Endless Love to make enquiries.

When receiving the church member at Endless Love, the defendant offered $3,000 as a rebate to the latter for appointing Endless Love to arrange the funeral services for the deceased. The church member rejected the defendant’s offer and left.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Eddie Sean, assisted by ICAC officer Allan Fong.