Integrity Focus

An ICAC corruption investigation earlier revealed a dummy insurance agents’ scheme where individuals had conspired together to defraud two insurers of commissions totalling about $52 million by making false representations about the handling agents of 478 insurance policies and to launder crime proceeds. A then branch manager of an insurer, who recruited various individuals to take part in the plot, was today (February 11) sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment at the District Court while 10 dummy insurance agents received jail terms ranging from 11 to 22 months.

Lo Yin-wa, 32, then branch manager of FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited (FWD), was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. She earlier pleaded guilty to 20 charges – two of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law; and 18 of conspiracy to deal with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence (conspiracy to launder crime proceeds), contrary to section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance and section 159A(1) the Crimes Ordinance.

Ten co-defendants, who admitted various counts of the above charges, received jail terms ranging from 11 to 22 months. The defendants, aged between 25 and 61, are six insurance agents of Lo’s team in FWD – Chan Ka-yu, Lam Hiu-tung, Lam Wai-kit, Wong Bryant, Zhou Yutian and Cheung Ho-cheung; the then unit manager of Sun Life Hong Kong Limited (Sun Life HK), Kwok Yun-fong, and her three downline agents Tang Ho-lun, To Wai-to and Wong Lin-yan.

In sentencing, Judge Mr Josiah Lam Wai-kuen remarked that Lo persuaded various individuals to pose as dummy insurance agents and used their bank accounts to deal with the incomes in relation to the insurance policies concerned. She played a pivotal role in materialising the present case which lasted 51 months.

Sentencing of two co-defendants who also pleaded guilty to their charges was adjourned to a later date after rendering assistance to the prosecution. Four other then insurance agents pleading not guilty to their charges will face trial at the District Court on May 12.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint against dummy insurance agents. Enquiries revealed that between February 2016 and November 2020, Lo had recruited co-defendants in the case and others to join either Sun Life HK or FWD. Lo told some of the recruited persons that they were dummy insurance agents and were not required to source any clients after joining the insurers.

The ICAC investigation revealed that Lo had conspired with other FWD insurance agents to falsely represent that the FWD insurance agents recruited by Lo were the handling agents of 272 insurance policy applications. In addition, Lo had conspired with Kwok Yun-fong and other Sun Life HK insurance agents to falsely represent that the Sun Life HK insurance agents recruited by Lo were the handling agents of 206 insurance policy applications.

As a result, Sun Life HK and FWD approved the above 478 applications and released commissions, incentives, bonuses and allowances totalling over $22 million to Lo’s team, and over $29 million to Kwok Yun-fong’s team.

The ICAC also enquiries revealed that the above 478 insurance policy applications mostly involved high commission rate insurance products. In the end, most of the insurance policies concerned lapsed after subsequent premiums were not paid.

Lo had requested the dummy insurance agents to return most of the payments to her after receiving commissions and other payments from the insurers. Individuals involved in the case then laundered crime proceeds totalling about $47 million in relation to the scheme through 23 bank accounts, which in fact were controlled by Lo, to receive the commissions and other payments concerned, the court heard.

FWD and Sun Life HK 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 officers Nick Lai and Chase Wong.