Integrity Focus
Recent ICAC Cases
May 2025Then company manager charged by ICAC guilty of soliciting $3m bribe from business partner for resolving dispute
A then manager of a company, charged by the ICAC for soliciting a bribe of $2 million to $3 million from a business partner for assisting the latter to resolve a business dispute between the two companies on terms most favourable to the partner, was today (May 27) found guilty after trial at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.
Wang Wenning, 65, then manager of China Coal Hong Kong Limited (CCHK, formerly known as Double Resources Limited), was found guilty of one count of agent soliciting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Magistrate Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man adjourned the case to June 10 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that in 1994, the parent company of CCHK and a business partner jointly invested in a property development project and capital injection was made by CCHK. CCHK subsequently intended to withdraw some of the investment fund from the project but the two parties failed to reach a final agreement. Since 2018, CCHK and the business partner had a dispute over the project. The defendant was assigned to resolve the dispute.
The defendant subsequently arranged to meet a director-cum-shareholder of the business partner one-on-one. During the meeting, the defendant told the director-cum-shareholder that he was in urgent need of money for his personal financial problem, and solicited from the latter a bribe between $2 million and $3 million. The defendant claimed that he would assist the latter to resolve the dispute concerned on terms and conditions most favourable to the business partner. However, the business partner rejected the solicitation.
CCHK prohibits its employees from soliciting or accepting advantages from others in relation to CCHK’s affairs and business.
CCHK and the business partner concerned rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Marc Corlett, assisted by ICAC officer Swing Chan.