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Ethical Decision MakingRecent ICAC Cases
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Feb 2025Then director of duty-free chain store charged by ICAC guilty of conspiracy to defraud over $12m inflated prices red wine purchasesThe ICAC had earlier charged two then senior executives of a duty-free chain store, who had concealed their conflicting interest in companies set up by them, with conspiracy to defraud for purchasing and reselling bottled red wine sourced from a French supplier to the chain store for profit by inflating the prices by $12 million. Following the guilty plea of a then general manager implicated, a then director was today (February 26) convicted of the offence after trial at the District Court.Au Tsz-kei, 70, then merchandising and buying director of Sky Connection Limited (Sky Connection), was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law. In convicting Au, Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin reprimanded the defendant for committing the serious offence out of greed.Co-defendant Lau Shu-yin, 78, then general manager of Sky Connection, earlier pleaded guilty to the offence.The judge adjourned the case to March 13 for mitigation and sentence. The two defendants were granted bail. Hearing on the application for a confiscation order filed by the prosecution was adjourned to a date to be fixed.The present case arose from a corruption complaint received by the ICAC in mid-2019. At the material time, Sky Connection sold duty-free goods under the business name “Free Duty”. The merchandising and buying department, headed by Au, used to source bottled red wine from a winery in France directly for sale at “Free Duty” shops.The court heard that since August 2004, the two defendants had arranged Sky Connection to place purchase orders with the French winery via Jetfair Development Limited (Jetfair) and Master Good Trading Limited (Master Good). Between August 2004 and May 2011, Sky Connection had placed 56 purchase orders incurring payments totalling over $26 million through Jetfair and Master Good. ICAC enquiries revealed that Jetfair and Master Good had actually sourced the 56 batches of bottled red wine from the French winery at over $14 million and resold them to Sky Connection at inflated prices, causing Sky Connection to make extra payments of over $12 million.The ICAC investigation also revealed that Master Good and Jetfair were in fact funded by individuals including Au and Lau. Lau and his daughter were respectively the sole shareholder-cum-director of Master Good and Jetfair. Sky Connection required its staff to declare any conflict of interest and prohibited them from engaging in any business which might have a conflict with the company. But Au and Lau had never disclosed to Sky Connection their associations with Master Good and Jetfair.In addition, Au and Lau each shared part of the generated profits in the scam under an agreement. Lau had earlier admitted that he had received $2 million in total.Sky Connection rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Alex Ng, assisted by ICAC officer May Lam. 26
Feb 2025Seven months’ jail for site team leader of Third Runway Project charged by ICAC for accepting bribes of $160,000 from workersA then site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project), charged by the ICAC, was today (February 26) sentenced at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to seven months’ imprisonment for accepting bribes totalling about $160,000 from four carpenters for securing their employment.He Yuchuan, 57, then site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), earlier this month pleaded guilty to six counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. He was also ordered to pay MEL a restitution of about $160,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received.In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Cheng Lim-chi reprimanded He for soliciting bribes from hard-working workers and lowering their hard-earned rewards. While workers acceded to He’s requests due to fear of losing their jobs, the amount of bribes involved in the present case was not insignificant. The court had to impose a custodial sentence on He.Chow Kwai-fai, 50, another then MEL site team leader charged by the ICAC in the case for allegedly accepting bribes of about $44,000 from a carpenter by blackmail, earlier pleaded not guilty to one count of bribery and one count of blackmail. His case was set for trial on March 26.At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. The duo led two teams of carpenters to work at the project’s construction site and had the authority to assign work to workers. MEL did not allow any employees to solicit or accept any advantages from other employees for assisting the latter to secure their employment with the company.The court heard that between September 2020 and January 2022, He had demanded bribes ranging from $100 to $200 per working day from four carpenters under his supervision. The four workers paid bribes to He reluctantly as they believed that they would have been terminated if they did not accede to He’s solicitation. As a result, He accepted bribes totalling about $160,000 from the four workers.The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Lawrence Wong.
Feb 2025Then director of duty-free chain store charged by ICAC guilty of conspiracy to defraud over $12m inflated prices red wine purchasesThe ICAC had earlier charged two then senior executives of a duty-free chain store, who had concealed their conflicting interest in companies set up by them, with conspiracy to defraud for purchasing and reselling bottled red wine sourced from a French supplier to the chain store for profit by inflating the prices by $12 million. Following the guilty plea of a then general manager implicated, a then director was today (February 26) convicted of the offence after trial at the District Court.Au Tsz-kei, 70, then merchandising and buying director of Sky Connection Limited (Sky Connection), was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law. In convicting Au, Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin reprimanded the defendant for committing the serious offence out of greed.Co-defendant Lau Shu-yin, 78, then general manager of Sky Connection, earlier pleaded guilty to the offence.The judge adjourned the case to March 13 for mitigation and sentence. The two defendants were granted bail. Hearing on the application for a confiscation order filed by the prosecution was adjourned to a date to be fixed.The present case arose from a corruption complaint received by the ICAC in mid-2019. At the material time, Sky Connection sold duty-free goods under the business name “Free Duty”. The merchandising and buying department, headed by Au, used to source bottled red wine from a winery in France directly for sale at “Free Duty” shops.The court heard that since August 2004, the two defendants had arranged Sky Connection to place purchase orders with the French winery via Jetfair Development Limited (Jetfair) and Master Good Trading Limited (Master Good). Between August 2004 and May 2011, Sky Connection had placed 56 purchase orders incurring payments totalling over $26 million through Jetfair and Master Good. ICAC enquiries revealed that Jetfair and Master Good had actually sourced the 56 batches of bottled red wine from the French winery at over $14 million and resold them to Sky Connection at inflated prices, causing Sky Connection to make extra payments of over $12 million.The ICAC investigation also revealed that Master Good and Jetfair were in fact funded by individuals including Au and Lau. Lau and his daughter were respectively the sole shareholder-cum-director of Master Good and Jetfair. Sky Connection required its staff to declare any conflict of interest and prohibited them from engaging in any business which might have a conflict with the company. But Au and Lau had never disclosed to Sky Connection their associations with Master Good and Jetfair.In addition, Au and Lau each shared part of the generated profits in the scam under an agreement. Lau had earlier admitted that he had received $2 million in total.Sky Connection rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Alex Ng, assisted by ICAC officer May Lam. 26
Feb 2025Seven months’ jail for site team leader of Third Runway Project charged by ICAC for accepting bribes of $160,000 from workersA then site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project), charged by the ICAC, was today (February 26) sentenced at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to seven months’ imprisonment for accepting bribes totalling about $160,000 from four carpenters for securing their employment.He Yuchuan, 57, then site team leader of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), earlier this month pleaded guilty to six counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. He was also ordered to pay MEL a restitution of about $160,000, equivalent to the amount of bribes he received.In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Cheng Lim-chi reprimanded He for soliciting bribes from hard-working workers and lowering their hard-earned rewards. While workers acceded to He’s requests due to fear of losing their jobs, the amount of bribes involved in the present case was not insignificant. The court had to impose a custodial sentence on He.Chow Kwai-fai, 50, another then MEL site team leader charged by the ICAC in the case for allegedly accepting bribes of about $44,000 from a carpenter by blackmail, earlier pleaded not guilty to one count of bribery and one count of blackmail. His case was set for trial on March 26.At the material time, MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works. The duo led two teams of carpenters to work at the project’s construction site and had the authority to assign work to workers. MEL did not allow any employees to solicit or accept any advantages from other employees for assisting the latter to secure their employment with the company.The court heard that between September 2020 and January 2022, He had demanded bribes ranging from $100 to $200 per working day from four carpenters under his supervision. The four workers paid bribes to He reluctantly as they believed that they would have been terminated if they did not accede to He’s solicitation. As a result, He accepted bribes totalling about $160,000 from the four workers.The Airport Authority Hong Kong, the relevant main contractor SAPR JV and MEL rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Lawrence Wong.