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Ethical Decision MakingRecent ICAC Cases
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Jun 2025Ten months’ jail for then company manager charged by ICAC for soliciting $3m bribe from business partner over dispute resolutionA then manager of a company, charged by the ICAC and convicted after trial of 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 (June 10) sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.Wang Wenning, 65, then manager of China Coal Hong Kong Limited (CCHK, formerly known as Double Resources Limited), was earlier found guilty of one count of agent soliciting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man reprimanded the defendant for abusing his official capacity to solicit bribe money. She noted that corruption was a serious crime warranting a deterrent sentence, and imposed an immediate custodial sentence on the defendant.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 a one-on-one meeting with a director-cum-shareholder of the business partner. 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 director-cum-shareholder to resolve the dispute on terms and conditions most favourable to him, but his solicitation was rejected.…/2CCHK 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. 09
Jun 2025Three months’ jail for foreman of airport expansion works subcontractor charged by ICAC for soliciting and accepting bribes from bar-bendersA foreman of a subcontractor of the Terminal 2 expansion works of the Hong Kong International Airport, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 9) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for soliciting and accepting bribes totalling about $16,000 from three bar-benders for assisting them to continue their employment and assigning overtime work to one of them to earn extra payments.Ko Chun-yin, 31, then foreman of Ho Chau & Sons (HK) Engineering Limited (HCL), was sentenced to a jail term of three months and ordered to repay his then employer over $12,000 in restitution, equivalent to the amount of bribes involved in the present case.The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of agent soliciting an advantage and six counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Gary Chu Man-hon noted that the offences in the present case were serious in nature that they came as a blow to the local labour market, lowered workers’ morale and undermined Hong Kong’s clean reputation. The court had to send out a clear message to the public that the corrupt deserved severe punishment. The magistrate took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to three months having considered his guilty plea and immediate full restitution of the bribes concerned.The court heard that HCL was a subcontractor of the Terminal 2 expansion works of the Hong Kong International Airport at the material time. The defendant was a foreman of HCL responsible for leading a team of bar-benders and assigning work to them. Should workers be required to work overtime, they would be paid 1.5 to two times of the standard hourly rate. HCL prohibited its employees from soliciting or accepting any advantages from others in relation to its business and affairs.Between April 2022 and February 2023, the defendant had respectively solicited from three bar-benders bribes of $100 per working day or an unspecified amount of “tea money” for assisting them to continue their employment with HCL. During the period, the defendant had eventually accepted bribes totalling $6,800 from the trio.The defendant had also solicited from one of the bar-benders bribes of $200 per working day for arranging him to perform overtime work to earn extra payments.The bar-bender reluctantly paid bribes totalling about $6,000 to the defendant for his overtime work on 30 working days.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the workers believed that the defendant had the authority to dismiss them. The trio reluctantly paid bribes to the defendant as they worried about losing their jobs. One of the workers was dismissed on the spot after he refused to pay a bribe of $3,000 solicited by the defendant.HCL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Moon Leung. 05
Jun 2025Ex-bank manager faces bribery charge laid by ICAC for accepting cryptocurrency worth US$470,000 for authenticating false instrumentsThe ICAC had earlier charged two former bank managers for allegedly conspiring with an employee of a fintech company to use various false standby letters of credit (L/Cs) and collateral letters. Pursuant to the further legal advice of the Department of Justice upon completion of investigation by the ICAC, an additional bribery charge was laid against one of the duo while the indictment in relation to the two counts of conspiracy to use false instruments were amended when the case was brought to the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (June 5). The additional charge alleged that the defendant had accepted cryptocurrency worth over US$470,000 from the fintech company employee, a middleman and others for authenticating false instruments. The case will be transferred to the District Court.Lam Chun-yin, 30, former relationship manager of China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited (CCB (Asia)), was charged with an additional count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.Besides, Lam and Lee Ka-man, 34, former senior relationship manager of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (Standard Chartered HK), each faced one count of conspiracy to use false instruments, contrary to sections 73 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.No plea was taken today. Magistrate Madam Frances Leung adjourned the case to 21 August 2025 for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea. The defendants were granted bail.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint and revealed the alleged offences which took place between April 2022 and July 2023. At the material time, Vesttoo Limited (Vesttoo) was an overseas fintech company operating a digital platform to facilitate insurance-linked securities transactions. Investors were required to provide standby L/Cs issued by banks or collateral letters endorsed by banks as a guarantee of payments.The bribery charge alleged that Lam had accepted bribes, namely Tether, a cryptocurrency, worth totalling over US$470,000, from an employee of Vesttoo Udi Ginati, a middleman Wan Cheuk-lun and others for authenticating standby L/Cs and collateral letters which were purportedly issued or endorsed by China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB). CCB had, in fact, never issued or endorsed those documents.The amended charges of conspiracy to use false instruments alleged that Lam had conspired together with the said Vesttoo employee, middleman and others to use 88 false standby L/Cs and two false collateral letters purportedly issued or endorsed by CCB, with the intention of inducing others to accept them as genuine. It was alleged that Lee had conspired together with others to use four false standby L/Cs purportedly issued by Standard Chartered HK with intent to induce others to accept them as genuine.CCB (Asia) and Standard Chartered HK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Douglas Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Ken Wong. 04
Jun 2025Printing company trio charged by ICAC for concealing conflicting interest in $6.6m delivery services fraudTwo former employees of a printing company and the wife of one of them were charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 3) for allegedly deceiving the company into engaging a relative to provide delivery services and making payments totalling about $6.6 million by concealing conflicting interest for personal gain of about $1.2 million.So Keung, 52, former assistant production manager of Bannershop Hong Kong Limited (Bannershop); his wife Poon Po-lin, 54; and Zhang Haiqi, 33, former delivery section supervisor of Bannershop, jointly face one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.The case unfolded in an ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. The defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 5) for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea.Bannershop is engaged in digital printing, graphic design, exhibition decoration and installation. At the material time, So was an assistant production manager responsible for managing the production of printed products while Zhang, being the delivery section supervisor, was responsible for managing the delivery of printed products to customers.In February 2018, upon the recommendation of Zhang, the brother-in-law of the So’s couple was engaged by Bannershop to deliver products to its customers. Zhang would submit the relevant invoices to the company for settling delivery fees.The staff handbook and code of conduct of the company stipulated that staff members were obliged to notify the company where their spouse or sibling held any business negotiation with the company, and that they should avoid conflict of interests.The charge alleges that between May 2018 and January 2022, the three defendants had concealed from Bannershop So’s familial relationship with his brother-in-law and Poon, and defrauded the company to remain engaged with the brother-in-law to provide delivery services and settle delivery fees totalling $6.6 million.ICAC enquiries revealed that Poon’s bank account was arranged to receive payments from Bannershop. While about $5.4 million was transferred to the bank account of the brother-in-law of the So’s couple, So and Zhang received over $800,000 and over $300,000 respectively. So had never declared to Bannershop his familial relationship with his brother-in-law and Poon.Bannershop rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. 30
May 2025Salesman of groceries supplier charged by ICAC admits fraud over goods worth $12mA then senior sales executive of a groceries supplier, charged by the ICAC, today (May 30) admitted at the District Court that he has made false representations about the orders placed by various clients to induce the supplier to release goods worth totalling over $12 million in nine months and resold them for personal gain.Mak Ka-wing, 46, former senior sales executive of Dah Chong Hong Limited (DCH), pleaded guilty to 32 counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.Deputy Judge Ms Stephanie Tsui May-har adjourned the case to July 17 for sentence. The defendant was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a senior sales executive of DCH’s food trading unit which engaged in the supply of groceries. He was responsible for handling groceries orders placed by clients. Upon receiving a request from a client, DCH would issue an invoice for arranging release or delivery of goods to the client.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that in the nine months between August 2020 and April 2021, the defendant had input fictitious orders into the DCH’s computer system and falsely represented that 32 clients had ordered goods from the company. As a result, DCH issued a total of 410 invoices to the clients and arranged goods worth totalling over $12 million to be released.Enquiries also found that the defendant forged signatures of clients on the receipts. He subsequently resold the goods for personal gain, but he only repaid about $280,000 to DCH.DCH rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Douglas Lau, assisted by ICAC officer William Leung.
Jun 2025Ten months’ jail for then company manager charged by ICAC for soliciting $3m bribe from business partner over dispute resolutionA then manager of a company, charged by the ICAC and convicted after trial of 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 (June 10) sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.Wang Wenning, 65, then manager of China Coal Hong Kong Limited (CCHK, formerly known as Double Resources Limited), was earlier found guilty of one count of agent soliciting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man reprimanded the defendant for abusing his official capacity to solicit bribe money. She noted that corruption was a serious crime warranting a deterrent sentence, and imposed an immediate custodial sentence on the defendant.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 a one-on-one meeting with a director-cum-shareholder of the business partner. 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 director-cum-shareholder to resolve the dispute on terms and conditions most favourable to him, but his solicitation was rejected.…/2CCHK 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. 09
Jun 2025Three months’ jail for foreman of airport expansion works subcontractor charged by ICAC for soliciting and accepting bribes from bar-bendersA foreman of a subcontractor of the Terminal 2 expansion works of the Hong Kong International Airport, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 9) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for soliciting and accepting bribes totalling about $16,000 from three bar-benders for assisting them to continue their employment and assigning overtime work to one of them to earn extra payments.Ko Chun-yin, 31, then foreman of Ho Chau & Sons (HK) Engineering Limited (HCL), was sentenced to a jail term of three months and ordered to repay his then employer over $12,000 in restitution, equivalent to the amount of bribes involved in the present case.The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of agent soliciting an advantage and six counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Gary Chu Man-hon noted that the offences in the present case were serious in nature that they came as a blow to the local labour market, lowered workers’ morale and undermined Hong Kong’s clean reputation. The court had to send out a clear message to the public that the corrupt deserved severe punishment. The magistrate took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to three months having considered his guilty plea and immediate full restitution of the bribes concerned.The court heard that HCL was a subcontractor of the Terminal 2 expansion works of the Hong Kong International Airport at the material time. The defendant was a foreman of HCL responsible for leading a team of bar-benders and assigning work to them. Should workers be required to work overtime, they would be paid 1.5 to two times of the standard hourly rate. HCL prohibited its employees from soliciting or accepting any advantages from others in relation to its business and affairs.Between April 2022 and February 2023, the defendant had respectively solicited from three bar-benders bribes of $100 per working day or an unspecified amount of “tea money” for assisting them to continue their employment with HCL. During the period, the defendant had eventually accepted bribes totalling $6,800 from the trio.The defendant had also solicited from one of the bar-benders bribes of $200 per working day for arranging him to perform overtime work to earn extra payments.The bar-bender reluctantly paid bribes totalling about $6,000 to the defendant for his overtime work on 30 working days.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the workers believed that the defendant had the authority to dismiss them. The trio reluctantly paid bribes to the defendant as they worried about losing their jobs. One of the workers was dismissed on the spot after he refused to pay a bribe of $3,000 solicited by the defendant.HCL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Moon Leung. 05
Jun 2025Ex-bank manager faces bribery charge laid by ICAC for accepting cryptocurrency worth US$470,000 for authenticating false instrumentsThe ICAC had earlier charged two former bank managers for allegedly conspiring with an employee of a fintech company to use various false standby letters of credit (L/Cs) and collateral letters. Pursuant to the further legal advice of the Department of Justice upon completion of investigation by the ICAC, an additional bribery charge was laid against one of the duo while the indictment in relation to the two counts of conspiracy to use false instruments were amended when the case was brought to the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (June 5). The additional charge alleged that the defendant had accepted cryptocurrency worth over US$470,000 from the fintech company employee, a middleman and others for authenticating false instruments. The case will be transferred to the District Court.Lam Chun-yin, 30, former relationship manager of China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited (CCB (Asia)), was charged with an additional count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.Besides, Lam and Lee Ka-man, 34, former senior relationship manager of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (Standard Chartered HK), each faced one count of conspiracy to use false instruments, contrary to sections 73 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.No plea was taken today. Magistrate Madam Frances Leung adjourned the case to 21 August 2025 for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea. The defendants were granted bail.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint and revealed the alleged offences which took place between April 2022 and July 2023. At the material time, Vesttoo Limited (Vesttoo) was an overseas fintech company operating a digital platform to facilitate insurance-linked securities transactions. Investors were required to provide standby L/Cs issued by banks or collateral letters endorsed by banks as a guarantee of payments.The bribery charge alleged that Lam had accepted bribes, namely Tether, a cryptocurrency, worth totalling over US$470,000, from an employee of Vesttoo Udi Ginati, a middleman Wan Cheuk-lun and others for authenticating standby L/Cs and collateral letters which were purportedly issued or endorsed by China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB). CCB had, in fact, never issued or endorsed those documents.The amended charges of conspiracy to use false instruments alleged that Lam had conspired together with the said Vesttoo employee, middleman and others to use 88 false standby L/Cs and two false collateral letters purportedly issued or endorsed by CCB, with the intention of inducing others to accept them as genuine. It was alleged that Lee had conspired together with others to use four false standby L/Cs purportedly issued by Standard Chartered HK with intent to induce others to accept them as genuine.CCB (Asia) and Standard Chartered HK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Douglas Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Ken Wong. 04
Jun 2025Printing company trio charged by ICAC for concealing conflicting interest in $6.6m delivery services fraudTwo former employees of a printing company and the wife of one of them were charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 3) for allegedly deceiving the company into engaging a relative to provide delivery services and making payments totalling about $6.6 million by concealing conflicting interest for personal gain of about $1.2 million.So Keung, 52, former assistant production manager of Bannershop Hong Kong Limited (Bannershop); his wife Poon Po-lin, 54; and Zhang Haiqi, 33, former delivery section supervisor of Bannershop, jointly face one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.The case unfolded in an ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. The defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 5) for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea.Bannershop is engaged in digital printing, graphic design, exhibition decoration and installation. At the material time, So was an assistant production manager responsible for managing the production of printed products while Zhang, being the delivery section supervisor, was responsible for managing the delivery of printed products to customers.In February 2018, upon the recommendation of Zhang, the brother-in-law of the So’s couple was engaged by Bannershop to deliver products to its customers. Zhang would submit the relevant invoices to the company for settling delivery fees.The staff handbook and code of conduct of the company stipulated that staff members were obliged to notify the company where their spouse or sibling held any business negotiation with the company, and that they should avoid conflict of interests.The charge alleges that between May 2018 and January 2022, the three defendants had concealed from Bannershop So’s familial relationship with his brother-in-law and Poon, and defrauded the company to remain engaged with the brother-in-law to provide delivery services and settle delivery fees totalling $6.6 million.ICAC enquiries revealed that Poon’s bank account was arranged to receive payments from Bannershop. While about $5.4 million was transferred to the bank account of the brother-in-law of the So’s couple, So and Zhang received over $800,000 and over $300,000 respectively. So had never declared to Bannershop his familial relationship with his brother-in-law and Poon.Bannershop rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. 30
May 2025Salesman of groceries supplier charged by ICAC admits fraud over goods worth $12mA then senior sales executive of a groceries supplier, charged by the ICAC, today (May 30) admitted at the District Court that he has made false representations about the orders placed by various clients to induce the supplier to release goods worth totalling over $12 million in nine months and resold them for personal gain.Mak Ka-wing, 46, former senior sales executive of Dah Chong Hong Limited (DCH), pleaded guilty to 32 counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.Deputy Judge Ms Stephanie Tsui May-har adjourned the case to July 17 for sentence. The defendant was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a senior sales executive of DCH’s food trading unit which engaged in the supply of groceries. He was responsible for handling groceries orders placed by clients. Upon receiving a request from a client, DCH would issue an invoice for arranging release or delivery of goods to the client.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that in the nine months between August 2020 and April 2021, the defendant had input fictitious orders into the DCH’s computer system and falsely represented that 32 clients had ordered goods from the company. As a result, DCH issued a total of 410 invoices to the clients and arranged goods worth totalling over $12 million to be released.Enquiries also found that the defendant forged signatures of clients on the receipts. He subsequently resold the goods for personal gain, but he only repaid about $280,000 to DCH.DCH rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Douglas Lau, assisted by ICAC officer William Leung.