Recent ICAC Cases


12
Jul 2023
Ex-site team leader charged by ICAC admits accepting $120,000 bribes from Third Runway Project’s bar-benders over employmentA former site team leader of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project), charged by the ICAC, today (July 12) admitted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts that he had accepted bribes of over $120,000 from five bar-benders for continuing their employment with the sub-contractor.Wong Hei, 51, former site team leader for bar-bending works of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), pleaded guilty to seven charges – four of conspiracy for agent to accept advantages; two of agent accepting an advantage; and one of agent soliciting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.Acting Principal Magistrate Miss Veronica Heung Shuk-han adjourned the case to July 26 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. The defendant was a site team leader leading a team of bar-benders working at the project’s construction site.The court heard that between March 2020 and July 2021, the defendant solicited bribes ranging from $100 to $400 per working day from five bar-benders for continuing their employment with MEL. He eventually accepted bribes totalling over $120,000 from the five bar-benders, who believed that their employment would be terminated by the defendant if they did not pay bribes.In recent years, the ICAC has taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers and launched a series of relevant publicity and education programmes. An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. Should they be asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366.A total of 26 people, most of whom were site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project, were so far charged by the ICAC. Nineteen of them, including the defendant, had pleaded guilty or were found guilty after trial, receiving sentences up to 16 months in jail. Five others are awaiting plea or trial.The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Lawrence Wong.
11
Jul 2023
Subcontractor jailed for 15 months for inflating delivery fees to ‘sweeten’ manager of logistics companyA logistics subcontractor, charged by the ICAC, was today (July 11) sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts for bribery by inflating delivery fees and returning the differences to a manager of a logistics company as “sweetener” for maintaining a good relationship with the latter and his showing favour to the subcontractor in outsourcing various delivery orders worth totalling about HK$1.7 million.Liu Kwun-ming, 55, sole director cum shareholder of Fung Wing Logistics Co., Limited (Fung Wing), was earlier found guilty of one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Miss Polly Chuang Po-yi said the offence committed by the defendant was serious in nature, lasted a long period and involved a considerable sum of bribes. The act of the defendant had undermined the probity of Hong Kong and fair competition in the logistics industry, warranting a deterrent sentence.The court heard that since April 2018, Fung Wing had been a subcontractor of Eas Da Tong International Trucking Company (Eas Da Tong) which provided cross-border logistics services to clients of its mother company – Kerry Logistics Network Limited (Kerry Logistics).Between April 2018 and April 2021, Eas Da Tong had placed delivery orders worth totalling about HK$1.7 million with Fung Wing. The orders were handled by a manager of another subsidiary of Kerry Logistics.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the defendant conspired with his business partner in Fung Wing and the manager of Kerry Logistics’ subsidiary to inflate the haulage charges on Fung Wing’s payment reports, and returned the price differences totalling over Renminbi 120,000 to the manager to maintain a good relationship with the latter for obtaining more delivery orders from Eas Da Tong.Kerry Logistics had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into this case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Clara Ma, assisted by ICAC officer Zac Ng.The ICAC has been arranging integrity training and providing corruption prevention resources for different industries. Business operators are reminded not to commit bribery or engage in illegal activities. For more corruption prevention information, please visit the webpage of the ICAC's Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre.
10
Jul 2023
Two former team leaders of park construction project charged by ICAC with bribery over worker employmentThe ICAC today (July 10) charged two then team leaders of a sub-contractor of a park construction project with accepting bribes totalling over $64,000 from four workers for securing the latter’s employment with the sub-contractor.Kwong Chi-kit, 38; and Chan Wai-kwok, 35, both former team leaders of HK Huangshangyou Steel Industrial Limited (HSY), jointly face two counts of conspiracy for agents to accept an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. Chan alone further faces two similar offences.The defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday (July 12) for plea.At the material time, HSY was a steel and metal works sub-contractor of a park construction project in Kai Tak. Kwong and Chan joined HSY in March 2021. Kwong was tasked to source workers for HSY to work for the project under the supervision of Chan at a daily wage of $1,400.The two charges against the duo allege that between April and July 2021, Kwong and Chan conspired together to accept bribes totalling over $31,000 from two workers for assisting them to secure their employment from or maintain their employment with HSY. The remaining two charges allege that between April and August 2021, Chan conspired with Kwong to accept bribes totalling over $32,000 from two other workers for assisting them to secure their employment from or maintain their employment with HSY.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the duo allegedly conspired to solicit a daily rebate ranging from $300 to $500 from the four workers, and accepted bribes ranging from $10,000 to over $21,000 from each worker.HSY has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.In recent years, the ICAC has taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers and launched a series of relevant publicity and education programmes. An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. Should they be asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366.
06
Jul 2023
Ex-team leader of sub-contractor charged by ICAC with accepting bribes from worker over employmentA then team leader of a bar-bending sub-contractor was charged by the ICAC yesterday (July 5) for allegedly accepting bribes of over $20,000 from a worker in three months for keeping the latter’s employment with the sub-contractor.Pun Yui-ki, 44, former team leader of Wong Tsang Engineering Company Limited (Wong Tsang Engineering), faces four charges – three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and one of theft, contrary to Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 7) for plea.At the material time, the defendant was a team leader of Wong Tsang Engineering. He was responsible for supervising workers to work at the construction sites of two projects. In early March 2021, he referred a man to join Wong Tsang Engineering as a semi-skilled worker at a daily wage of $1,500.It is alleged that between April and June 2021, the defendant accepted from the semi-skilled worker three bribes totalling $20,600 for assisting the latter to keep his employment with Wong Tsang Engineering.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the defendant allegedly solicited a bribe of $400 per working day from the semi-skilled worker, who resigned from Wong Tsang Engineering in mid-July as the defendant kept soliciting bribes from him.In addition, the defendant also allegedly stole $12,000 from the semi-skilled worker in August 2021. Enquiries revealed that the defendant allegedly cashed a salary cheque of the semi-skilled worker and pocketed $12,000 which was the latter’s wages earned in July 2021.Wong Tsang Engineering has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.An ICAC spokesperson urges construction workers not to tolerate corruption. Should they be asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366.The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers in recent years. In order to promote the anti-corruption message “Don’t pay illegal rebates” among construction workers, the ICAC has launched a series of publicity and education programmes, including a new online video entitled “Don’t tolerate illegal rebates! Report corruption!”. Construction practitioners can visit the relevant webpage of the ICAC’s Hong Kong Business Ethics Development Centre to obtain more corruption prevention information.
30
Jun 2023
Ex-flight attendants charged by ICAC guilty of accepting HK$66,000 bribes over staff travel benefitsTwo former flight attendants of an airline company, charged by the ICAC, were today (June 30) convicted at the District Court of accepting bribes totalling over HK$66,000 for assisting others to enjoy staff benefits to purchase air tickets at concessionary rates.Lee Chung-fai, 28, and Wong Oi-ting, 33, both former flight attendants of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (Cathay Pacific), were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.Judge Mr Anthony Kwok Kai-on adjourned the case to September 7 for sentence. Wong was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department, while Lee was granted bail till next Thursday (July 6).At the material time, Lee and Wong were flight attendants of Cathay Pacific. Under the “Companion Travel Scheme” (the Scheme), each employee of Cathay Pacific was allowed to nominate a partner, sibling, family member or friend to be a travelling companion who would be able to purchase air tickets of Cathay Pacific and its partner airlines at concessionary rates. Cathay Pacific prohibited its staff from receiving advantages for nominating others as their travelling companions.The court heard that between late 2018 and early 2019, Cathay Pacific’s then flight purser Lau Ching-man discussed with an overseas fashion designer she got acquainted online to arrange Lau’s colleagues to nominate two friends of the designer as their travelling companions. Lau then contacted Lee and Wong to discuss the nomination arrangements.Afterwards, Lee and Wong respectively accepted a bribe of about US$5,000 (about HK$39,000) and US$3,500 (about HK$27,000) for nominating the two friends of the fashion designer as their travelling companions. The two friends subsequently purchased 29 sectors of air tickets at concessionary rates, involving a price difference totalling at least about HK$530,000.Should Cathay Pacific know that Lee and Wong had received advantages in relation to their travelling companion nominations, it would not have approved the nominations and issued the concessionary flight tickets.Co-defendant Lau, 36, former flight purser of Cathay Pacific, earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of bribery. Her case was adjourned to July 6 for mention at the District Court. In addition to her participation in the above corrupt dealings, she accepted bribes totalling at least US$1,500 (about HK$12,000) from the fashion designer for nominating the latter as her travelling companion for year 2019. As a result, the fashion designer purchased 20 sectors of air tickets at concessionary rates, involving a price difference totalling at least about HK$330,000.Cathay Pacific had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Fergus Chau, assisted by ICAC officer Anthony Chan.

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