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Ethical Decision MakingRecent ICAC Cases
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Apr 2026Secretarial company proprietor charged by ICAC for bribing bank employee over accounts openingA proprietor of a secretarial company charged by the ICAC appeared in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (April 21) for allegedly offering a bribe of $6,800 to a bank employee to assist clients referred by her in opening bank accounts.Gu Qian, 39, proprietor of a secretarial company, faced one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.No plea was entered today. Magistrate Ms Amy Chan Wai-mun adjourned the case to June 24 for mention and granted the defendant bail.At the material time, the defendant was the proprietor of a secretarial company. Between late May and late October 2025, she referred several clients to an assistant customer service manager of a branch of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) in Tsim Sha Tsui. Eight of the clients successfully opened bank accounts with BOCHK.The charge alleged that on October 27, 2025, the defendant offered a bribe of $6,800 to the BOCHK employee as a reward for assisting clients referred by the defendant in opening bank accounts.The BOCHK employee refused to accept the bribe and reported the incident to BOCHK. Following an investigation upon receipt of a corruption report, the defendant was charged by the ICAC yesterday (April 20).BOCHK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. All eight bank accounts successfully opened fulfilled the bank’s due diligence requirements.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Flora Wong. 14
Apr 2026Two then bank employees charged by ICAC with bribery over account opening jailed for 10 months and six monthsTwo then bank employees, among five individuals charged by the ICAC, were today (April 14) sentenced to imprisonment of 10 months and six months at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for conspiring to accept bribes to assist clients referred by intermediaries in opening bank accounts.Lo Wing-hang, 31, then insurance specialist of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), received a jail term of 10 months while Wan Hui, 32, then premier business manager of HSBC, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.Both defendants earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr David Cheung Chi-wai remarked that bank staff must undergo anti-money laundering training. The account-opening activities of the two defendants did not merely affect HSBC; their handling of potential clients impacted the entire banking sector. Should bank staff encounter suspected money laundering cases, they are required to immediately report them to the relevant authorities. However, the two individuals engaged in corrupt conduct breaching the trust placed in them.Having considered the span of the offences, the bribes involved, and the number of bank accounts opened, the court took a starting point of 15 months’ imprisonment for one defendant and nine months for the other. Their jail terms were reduced by one-third due to their guilty pleas.Co-defendant Lo Cheuk-kim, 40, then premier relationship manager of HSBC, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage. His case is scheduled for sentencing on May 4.Between November 2022 and February 2025, the three HSBC employees were posted to a branch in North Point. The court heard that Lo Wing-hang reached an agreement with two intermediaries to assist clients referred by them in opening bank accounts at HSBC, accepting bribes ranging from HK$500 to HK$1,500 for each successful application.Lo Wing-hang later engaged his colleague Lo Cheuk-kim to assist in opening accounts and paid him HK$100 for each successful application. During this period, the duo accepted bribes totalling over HK$170,000 pursuant to their agreement.Between October 2024 and February 2025, Wan assisted 12 clients referred by the two intermediaries to open bank accounts and accepted bribes totalling RMB6,000.The court heard that the three bank employees assisted a total of approximately 250 clients referred by the two intermediaries in opening bank accounts. Seventy of these accounts, which were identified as having money laundering risks following assessment by HSBC, were referred to the relevant law enforcement agency for follow up action.The two insurance agents cum intermediaries concerned, Han Jie and his wife Zhou Yinying, faced two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage and one count of offering an advantage to an agent. Their case is scheduled for plea on May 4.HSBC rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Nathan Choi.The ICAC has long attached great importance to the integrity of banking practitioners. With the full support of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Association of Banks and the banking industry, the ICAC launched the Banking Industry Integrity Charter in 2024 to promote an integrity culture within the sector. The ICAC will continue to enhance its engagement with the industry under the framework of the Charter to heighten practitioners’ sensitivity to corruption risks, and provide continuous integrity training for bank staff. 14
Apr 2026Middleman charged by ICAC for offering $400,000 in bribes to accounting firm staff over fabric manufacturer’s listingThe ICAC today (April 14) charged a middleman for allegedly offering cash bribes totalling $400,000 to two then managers of an accounting firm in 2010 to assist a fabric manufacturer in its listing in Hong Kong.The ICAC received a referral from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in late March 2010. At the material time, the defendant had left Hong Kong. She was arrested by the ICAC upon her recent return. After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC charged the defendant today.Chan Chau-wan, 72, faces two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. She was released on bail, pending her appearance at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 15) for mention. The prosecution will apply to transfer the case to the District Court for plea.At the material time, Hontex International Holdings Company Limited (Hontex) was seeking a listing in Hong Kong. Hontex engaged KPMG for its auditing services through the introduction of the defendant. A senior manager and an assistant manager of KPMG were responsible for providing auditing services to the initial public offering (IPO) project for Hontex. Hontex was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK) in late December 2009. It was subsequently delisted in September 2013.The two offences allege that on February 20, 2010, the defendant offered cash bribes of $300,000 and $100,000 respectively to the senior manager and the assistant manager of KPMG for providing auditing services to facilitate the IPO of Hontex.The assistant manager of KPMG rejected the offer and reported the matter to KPMG. Following an internal investigation by KPMG, the matter was reported to the SFC, which subsequently referred the case to the ICAC.KPMG, the SFC and the SEHK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The ICAC has been working closely with relevant regulators, including the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and the SFC, to ensure that IPOs are fair and equitable through system controls and preventive education. The ICAC is committed to upholding the integrity of our financial market as well as consolidating Hong Kong’s status as a leading international financial centre. 13
Apr 2026Two months’ jail for electrician charged by ICAC for defrauding EMSD over registered electrical worker certificate by falsifying work experienceFollowing a corruption investigation which revealed that certain applicants had illegally applied for certificates of registration as electrical workers and misled the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to issue the relevant certificates by falsifying work experience, the ICAC earlier mounted an operation codenamed “Beacon Tower”, resulting in the prosecution of 20 individuals with multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud in separate cases. One of the electricians was today (April 13) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts.Yip Man-lam, 41, electrical worker, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law.In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Lau Suk-han noted that public interest and safety were involved in the present case, and that the court had to maintain public confidence in the relevant system. The magistrate took a starting point of four and a half months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to two months having considered his guilty plea and various mitigating factors.Any person who performs electrical installation work in Hong Kong is required to register with the EMSD as a Registered Electrical Worker. Certificates of registration are categorised in five grades, of which Grade A is classified as the elementary level (commonly known as Grade A Electrical Work Certificate). Applicants are required to meet various requirements, including possessing at least five years’ work experience in electrical work. Written proof supporting an applicant’s relevant work experience should be submitted with the application form for EMSD’s assessment.The court heard that at the material time, Yip sought to apply for a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate from the EMSD, but he lacked of work experience to meet the requirement. Upon the introduction of a friend, Yip sought assistance from Fung Tak-lap, proprietor of K-ONE Power & Interior Design Co. (K-ONE), and paid the latter $30,000.Later in early January 2023, Fung provided Yip with a false work experience proof issued by an electrical contractor, falsely stating that Yip was employed by that contractor between September 2016 and October 2022. Yip was eventually granted a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate in January 2023.Another electrical worker charged in a separate case, Law Wai-ming, 61, earlier pleaded guilty at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts to one count of conspiracy to defraud, which involved conspiring with others to deceive the EMSD into granting him a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate. The case was adjourned to June 25 for sentence.Fung, proprietor of K-ONE, 59, and 17 electrical workers aged between 37 to 66, were charged earlier in another case. Fung faces a total of 26 counts of conspiracy to defraud, while each of the remaining defendants faces one count of conspiracy to defraud. The case was adjourned to this Thursday at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea.The charges allege that Fung and the 17 co-defendants had conspired together with others to defraud the EMSD by falsely representing to the EMSD that the electrical workers concerned had been employed by K-ONE or seven other engineering companies for electrical work-related jobs, thereby inducing the EMSD to approve and issue Grade A Electrical Work Certificates to the 17 electrical workers concerned.The ICAC investigation revealed that Fung was the proprietor of K-ONE and two other electrical engineering companies implicated in the cases. He had allegedly assisted the electrical workers in falsifying proof documents supporting their five-year electrical work experience to facilitate their applications to the EMSD for Grade A Electrical Work Certificates.The EMSD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases, and revoked the certificates of the applicants in the cases.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Freddy Cheng. 09
Apr 2026Estate agent charged by ICAC for bribe solicitation over subordinate’s role in $100m property transactionAn estate agent was charged by the ICAC yesterday (April 8) for allegedly soliciting a bribe of over $63,000 from a subordinate for making a false representation regarding the latter’s role in procuring the sale and purchase transaction of a property valued at over $100 million.Shao Li-ya, 47, branch manager of Midland Realty International Limited (Midland Realty), faces one count of soliciting an advantage as an agent, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.The defendant was released on bail, pending her appearance at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 10) for plea.At the material time, the defendant was the branch manager at a Midland Realty branch in Tsim Sha Tsui. According to Midland Realty’s policy, a branch manager was eligible to receive an overriding commission based on the team’s turnover, whereas only a self-earned commission, without any overriding commission, would be granted for a transaction secured solely by a branch manager.The first charge alleges that in July 2023, the defendant solicited a bribe of over $63,000 from a subordinate estate agent for representing to Midland Realty that the subordinate was one of the handling agents in the sale and purchase transaction of a house in Sha Tin.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that by falsely claiming that she and her subordinate had participated in procuring the property transaction valued at over $100 million, the defendant received an overriding commission and a sales commission totalling over $1.3 million while her subordinate received a sales commission of over $130,000.The defendant further faces a fraud charge relating to the attendance of her daughter, who was a sales trainee under her supervision. It is alleged that between August and November 2023, the defendant and her daughter made false representations to Midland Realty regarding the daughter’s attendance records, and with intent to defraud, induced Midland Realty to release salary payments totalling over $5,100 to the daughter.While the defendant falsely represented to Midland Realty that her daughter was on duty for over 50 days between August and early October 2023, ICAC enquiries revealed that the daughter was out of Hong Kong for 19 days during that period.Midland Realty rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Apr 2026Secretarial company proprietor charged by ICAC for bribing bank employee over accounts openingA proprietor of a secretarial company charged by the ICAC appeared in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (April 21) for allegedly offering a bribe of $6,800 to a bank employee to assist clients referred by her in opening bank accounts.Gu Qian, 39, proprietor of a secretarial company, faced one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.No plea was entered today. Magistrate Ms Amy Chan Wai-mun adjourned the case to June 24 for mention and granted the defendant bail.At the material time, the defendant was the proprietor of a secretarial company. Between late May and late October 2025, she referred several clients to an assistant customer service manager of a branch of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) in Tsim Sha Tsui. Eight of the clients successfully opened bank accounts with BOCHK.The charge alleged that on October 27, 2025, the defendant offered a bribe of $6,800 to the BOCHK employee as a reward for assisting clients referred by the defendant in opening bank accounts.The BOCHK employee refused to accept the bribe and reported the incident to BOCHK. Following an investigation upon receipt of a corruption report, the defendant was charged by the ICAC yesterday (April 20).BOCHK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. All eight bank accounts successfully opened fulfilled the bank’s due diligence requirements.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Flora Wong. 14
Apr 2026Two then bank employees charged by ICAC with bribery over account opening jailed for 10 months and six monthsTwo then bank employees, among five individuals charged by the ICAC, were today (April 14) sentenced to imprisonment of 10 months and six months at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for conspiring to accept bribes to assist clients referred by intermediaries in opening bank accounts.Lo Wing-hang, 31, then insurance specialist of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), received a jail term of 10 months while Wan Hui, 32, then premier business manager of HSBC, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.Both defendants earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr David Cheung Chi-wai remarked that bank staff must undergo anti-money laundering training. The account-opening activities of the two defendants did not merely affect HSBC; their handling of potential clients impacted the entire banking sector. Should bank staff encounter suspected money laundering cases, they are required to immediately report them to the relevant authorities. However, the two individuals engaged in corrupt conduct breaching the trust placed in them.Having considered the span of the offences, the bribes involved, and the number of bank accounts opened, the court took a starting point of 15 months’ imprisonment for one defendant and nine months for the other. Their jail terms were reduced by one-third due to their guilty pleas.Co-defendant Lo Cheuk-kim, 40, then premier relationship manager of HSBC, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage. His case is scheduled for sentencing on May 4.Between November 2022 and February 2025, the three HSBC employees were posted to a branch in North Point. The court heard that Lo Wing-hang reached an agreement with two intermediaries to assist clients referred by them in opening bank accounts at HSBC, accepting bribes ranging from HK$500 to HK$1,500 for each successful application.Lo Wing-hang later engaged his colleague Lo Cheuk-kim to assist in opening accounts and paid him HK$100 for each successful application. During this period, the duo accepted bribes totalling over HK$170,000 pursuant to their agreement.Between October 2024 and February 2025, Wan assisted 12 clients referred by the two intermediaries to open bank accounts and accepted bribes totalling RMB6,000.The court heard that the three bank employees assisted a total of approximately 250 clients referred by the two intermediaries in opening bank accounts. Seventy of these accounts, which were identified as having money laundering risks following assessment by HSBC, were referred to the relevant law enforcement agency for follow up action.The two insurance agents cum intermediaries concerned, Han Jie and his wife Zhou Yinying, faced two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage and one count of offering an advantage to an agent. Their case is scheduled for plea on May 4.HSBC rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Nathan Choi.The ICAC has long attached great importance to the integrity of banking practitioners. With the full support of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Association of Banks and the banking industry, the ICAC launched the Banking Industry Integrity Charter in 2024 to promote an integrity culture within the sector. The ICAC will continue to enhance its engagement with the industry under the framework of the Charter to heighten practitioners’ sensitivity to corruption risks, and provide continuous integrity training for bank staff. 14
Apr 2026Middleman charged by ICAC for offering $400,000 in bribes to accounting firm staff over fabric manufacturer’s listingThe ICAC today (April 14) charged a middleman for allegedly offering cash bribes totalling $400,000 to two then managers of an accounting firm in 2010 to assist a fabric manufacturer in its listing in Hong Kong.The ICAC received a referral from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in late March 2010. At the material time, the defendant had left Hong Kong. She was arrested by the ICAC upon her recent return. After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC charged the defendant today.Chan Chau-wan, 72, faces two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. She was released on bail, pending her appearance at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 15) for mention. The prosecution will apply to transfer the case to the District Court for plea.At the material time, Hontex International Holdings Company Limited (Hontex) was seeking a listing in Hong Kong. Hontex engaged KPMG for its auditing services through the introduction of the defendant. A senior manager and an assistant manager of KPMG were responsible for providing auditing services to the initial public offering (IPO) project for Hontex. Hontex was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK) in late December 2009. It was subsequently delisted in September 2013.The two offences allege that on February 20, 2010, the defendant offered cash bribes of $300,000 and $100,000 respectively to the senior manager and the assistant manager of KPMG for providing auditing services to facilitate the IPO of Hontex.The assistant manager of KPMG rejected the offer and reported the matter to KPMG. Following an internal investigation by KPMG, the matter was reported to the SFC, which subsequently referred the case to the ICAC.KPMG, the SFC and the SEHK rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The ICAC has been working closely with relevant regulators, including the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and the SFC, to ensure that IPOs are fair and equitable through system controls and preventive education. The ICAC is committed to upholding the integrity of our financial market as well as consolidating Hong Kong’s status as a leading international financial centre. 13
Apr 2026Two months’ jail for electrician charged by ICAC for defrauding EMSD over registered electrical worker certificate by falsifying work experienceFollowing a corruption investigation which revealed that certain applicants had illegally applied for certificates of registration as electrical workers and misled the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to issue the relevant certificates by falsifying work experience, the ICAC earlier mounted an operation codenamed “Beacon Tower”, resulting in the prosecution of 20 individuals with multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud in separate cases. One of the electricians was today (April 13) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts.Yip Man-lam, 41, electrical worker, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law.In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Lau Suk-han noted that public interest and safety were involved in the present case, and that the court had to maintain public confidence in the relevant system. The magistrate took a starting point of four and a half months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to two months having considered his guilty plea and various mitigating factors.Any person who performs electrical installation work in Hong Kong is required to register with the EMSD as a Registered Electrical Worker. Certificates of registration are categorised in five grades, of which Grade A is classified as the elementary level (commonly known as Grade A Electrical Work Certificate). Applicants are required to meet various requirements, including possessing at least five years’ work experience in electrical work. Written proof supporting an applicant’s relevant work experience should be submitted with the application form for EMSD’s assessment.The court heard that at the material time, Yip sought to apply for a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate from the EMSD, but he lacked of work experience to meet the requirement. Upon the introduction of a friend, Yip sought assistance from Fung Tak-lap, proprietor of K-ONE Power & Interior Design Co. (K-ONE), and paid the latter $30,000.Later in early January 2023, Fung provided Yip with a false work experience proof issued by an electrical contractor, falsely stating that Yip was employed by that contractor between September 2016 and October 2022. Yip was eventually granted a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate in January 2023.Another electrical worker charged in a separate case, Law Wai-ming, 61, earlier pleaded guilty at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts to one count of conspiracy to defraud, which involved conspiring with others to deceive the EMSD into granting him a Grade A Electrical Work Certificate. The case was adjourned to June 25 for sentence.Fung, proprietor of K-ONE, 59, and 17 electrical workers aged between 37 to 66, were charged earlier in another case. Fung faces a total of 26 counts of conspiracy to defraud, while each of the remaining defendants faces one count of conspiracy to defraud. The case was adjourned to this Thursday at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts for mention. The prosecution will apply for transferring the case to the District Court for plea.The charges allege that Fung and the 17 co-defendants had conspired together with others to defraud the EMSD by falsely representing to the EMSD that the electrical workers concerned had been employed by K-ONE or seven other engineering companies for electrical work-related jobs, thereby inducing the EMSD to approve and issue Grade A Electrical Work Certificates to the 17 electrical workers concerned.The ICAC investigation revealed that Fung was the proprietor of K-ONE and two other electrical engineering companies implicated in the cases. He had allegedly assisted the electrical workers in falsifying proof documents supporting their five-year electrical work experience to facilitate their applications to the EMSD for Grade A Electrical Work Certificates.The EMSD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases, and revoked the certificates of the applicants in the cases.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Freddy Cheng. 09
Apr 2026Estate agent charged by ICAC for bribe solicitation over subordinate’s role in $100m property transactionAn estate agent was charged by the ICAC yesterday (April 8) for allegedly soliciting a bribe of over $63,000 from a subordinate for making a false representation regarding the latter’s role in procuring the sale and purchase transaction of a property valued at over $100 million.Shao Li-ya, 47, branch manager of Midland Realty International Limited (Midland Realty), faces one count of soliciting an advantage as an agent, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.The defendant was released on bail, pending her appearance at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 10) for plea.At the material time, the defendant was the branch manager at a Midland Realty branch in Tsim Sha Tsui. According to Midland Realty’s policy, a branch manager was eligible to receive an overriding commission based on the team’s turnover, whereas only a self-earned commission, without any overriding commission, would be granted for a transaction secured solely by a branch manager.The first charge alleges that in July 2023, the defendant solicited a bribe of over $63,000 from a subordinate estate agent for representing to Midland Realty that the subordinate was one of the handling agents in the sale and purchase transaction of a house in Sha Tin.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that by falsely claiming that she and her subordinate had participated in procuring the property transaction valued at over $100 million, the defendant received an overriding commission and a sales commission totalling over $1.3 million while her subordinate received a sales commission of over $130,000.The defendant further faces a fraud charge relating to the attendance of her daughter, who was a sales trainee under her supervision. It is alleged that between August and November 2023, the defendant and her daughter made false representations to Midland Realty regarding the daughter’s attendance records, and with intent to defraud, induced Midland Realty to release salary payments totalling over $5,100 to the daughter.While the defendant falsely represented to Midland Realty that her daughter was on duty for over 50 days between August and early October 2023, ICAC enquiries revealed that the daughter was out of Hong Kong for 19 days during that period.Midland Realty rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.