Integrity Focus

A former coordinator of a logistics company, charged by the ICAC, was today (May 22) sentenced to 31 months’ imprisonment at the District Court for deceiving his then employer into placing air cargo space orders worth totalling over $9.1 million with carriers’ agents via two intermediaries associated with him and obtaining personal gain of over $1.2 million in total by concealing his conflicting interest.

Wong Wing-ho, 42, former airfreight and business development coordinator of MBS Logistics Limited (MBS), earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.

In sentencing, Deputy Judge Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei reprimanded the defendant for orchestrating the scam in less than six months after joining the logistics company, and even serving as the de facto operator of one of the intermediaries concerned. The deputy judge noted that the offences lasted over three years, and the defendant had obtained a substantial amount of personal gain and caused actual monetary losses to his then employer.

The court heard that MBS was a local subsidiary of MBS Logistics Group, a worldwide logistics company which provided logistic services to its clients including placing air cargo space orders through different carriers’ agents. At the material time, the defendant was responsible for seeking quotations from carriers’ agents for clients, arranging delivery of clients’ goods to the agents, and submitting invoices of carriers’ agents to MBS for payment approval.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that between March 2016 and June 2019, the defendant had recommended MBS to place over 430 air cargo space orders with a carriers’ agent via two intermediaries, namely JTC Development Limited (JTC) and AK Logistics Limited (AKL), and to make payments totalling over $9.1 million to the two intermediaries.

Enquiries by the ICAC found that JTC was set up by the defendant and individuals associated with him, while the defendant and his family members had financial interests in the company, which was set up by connected persons of the defendant, while company chop, cheque book and other company documents of JTC were seized by ICAC officers from the defendant’s residence.

The investigation also revealed that it was agreed between the defendant and AKL that multilayer arrangements could be made for MBS to place orders with the carriers’ agent through JTC via AKL. In return, the defendant would pay a handling charge of around $50 to $100 per order to AKL.

The defendant had made a personal gain of over $1.2 million in total out of the scam, but he had never disclosed to MBS his interests in JTC and his agreement with AKL over the orders.

MBS rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jason Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Raymond Lai.

The ICAC advises business organisations to formulate clear guidelines and systems of declaraing conflict of interest. Staff members of business organisations are reminded to avoid conflict of interest situations and to make timely declaration to their employers. Concealing any conflict of interest in relation to one’s official duties to benefit himself or his associates may constitute a breach of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance or other criminal law.