Integrity Focus

A director of a garment accessories trading company, charged by the ICAC, was earlier sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to offering bribes to employees of two garment manufacturers in exchange for various purchase orders between 2014 and 2019. The District Court today (April 14) ordered to confiscate from the defendant crime proceeds of $2.35 million, being the profits he made in the case.

Ho Kwok-wing, 49, sole director-cum-shareholder of Po Yuen Hong Company Limited (Po Yuen Hong), was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment at the District Court in October 2022 after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage and two counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to sections 9(1)(a) and 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.

Deputy Judge Ms Winnie Lau Yee-wan today allowed the prosecution’s application in relation to two of the charges and ordered to confiscate from the defendant crime proceeds of $2.35 million, being the profits he made in the present case. The defendant was ordered to satisfy the confiscation order within six months, failing which he will have to serve an additional term of imprisonment of 35 months. He had already made a repayment in relation to the remaining charge to the garment manufacturer concerned.

The court heard that Po Yuen Hong was a garment accessories trading company. At the material time, the defendant made an agreement with a senior purchaser of a nightclothes and swimwear manufacturer that he would offer bribes to the latter in exchange for an increase in the purchase orders placed with Po Yuen Hong. Meanwhile, purchase orders placed by the manufacturer increased significantly and Po Yuen Hong became its major supplier.

The defendant had also obtained purchase orders of a manufacturer of denim clothing by a similar corrupt practice. He agreed to offer bribes to a purchasing clerk of the manufacturer in exchange for purchase orders from the company.

The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Matthew Hui, assisted by ICAC officers Gavin Lau and Keith Kwok.