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Jun 2023Ex-clerk charged by ICAC admits accepting $400,000 bribes from money exchange duo over $120m remittanceA then clerk of a handbag manufacturer, charged by the ICAC, today (June 30) admitted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts that he had accepted bribes totalling over $400,000 from two employees of a currency exchange company for causing the manufacturer to remit $120 million via the currency exchange company.Kung Hoi, 55, former clerk of Creaton Enterprises Limited (Creaton), 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.Acting Principal Magistrate Miss Veronica Heung Shuk-han adjourned the case to July 14 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a clerk of Creaton, a handbag manufacturer. Among his duties was remitting funds to mainland bank accounts via currency exchange companies for Creaton’s business operation. Between May 2016 and August 2018, the defendant had conducted over 430 remittances involving a total of $120 million on behalf of Creaton through a branch of Hui’s Brothers Foreign Currency Exchange Company Limited (Hui’s Brothers).ICAC investigations revealed that remittances concerned were processed by a branch manager and a cashier of the above branch of Hui’s Brothers. The duo would arrange cash deposits, ranging from over $200 to over $20,000 each and totalling over $400,000, be made into the defendant’s bank account after handling a remittance for Creaton. The matter was revealed when Hui’s Brothers checked the books.Creaton did not allow its employees to accept advantages in relation to its business or affairs.As the relevant corruption investigation is continuing, the ICAC does not rule out further law enforcement actions.Creaton and Hui’s Brothers had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Johnny Yiu. 30
Jun 2023Ex-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. 29
Jun 2023Woman charged by ICAC jailed for 22 months over $5.7m mortgage loans fraudA mortgage loan applicant, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 29) sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment after admitting at the District Court that she had deceived two financial institutions into granting her two mortgage loans totalling $5.7 million by fraudulent means. The offences were revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the Commission.Cheung Pui-shan, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law.In sentencing, Deputy Judge Ms Ada Yim Shun-yee remarked that offences involved in this case were serious in nature. The defendant obtained loans by fraudulent means, warranting a deterrent sentence.The court heard that in 2011, the defendant acquired a property. In December 2014, she pledged the property and took out a mortgage loan of about $3.3 million (loan 1) from Wing Fung Credit Limited (WFL), a financial institution.Between December 2014 and April 2015, she further applied for two second mortgage loans in respect of the property with two other financial institutions through a loan agent. In order to apply for the two second mortgage loans, the defendant, under the arrangement and assistance of the loan agent, submitted to Universal Prestige Finance Company (UPL) a copy of the falsified agreement on loan 1 so as to falsely show that the amount of loan 1 was $1.24 million. She subsequently used the same means to make a false representation to KP Financial Services Limited (KPL) that the amount of loan 1 was $800,000.In the belief that the documents submitted by the defendant were true and accurate, UPL and KPL respectively granted her second mortgage loans of $2.4 million and $3.3 million.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that at the material time, the market value of the above property was around $4.3 million to $5.4 million. Had UPL and KPL known the mortgage loan agreements provided by the defendant were false, they would not have granted her the second mortgage loans concerned as the accumulated mortgage amount exceeded the market value of the property at that time.Enquiries also revealed that upon receipt of second mortgage loans from UPL and KPL, the defendant passed about $590,000 as “tea money” to the loan agent.UPL, KPL and WFL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer May Lam. 29
Jun 2023Three more ex-site team leaders charged by ICAC with accepting bribes from 80 Third Runway Project construction workersThree former site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project) were charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 28) for allegedly accepting bribes totalling over $800,000 from more than 80 construction workers in relation to their employment with the sub-contractor. One of the trio allegedly accepted bribes of over $700,000, and perverted the course of public justice by instructing workers to make false statements to the ICAC claiming that they had not paid any bribes.Tang Kwok-leung, 48; Jiang Fa, 55; and Ting Shi-tong, 61; all former site team leaders of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), were yesterday charged in separate cases with a total of 30 charges – 25 of agent accepting an advantage; three of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages; one of conspiracy to do an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice; and one of blackmail.The three defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 30). Jiang and Ting will appear in court for plea taking, while the prosecution will later apply for transferring Tang’s case to the District Court for plea.The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers in recent years. A total of 26 people, most of whom were site team leaders of a sub-contractor, were charged with collecting bribes totalling over $1.4 million from more than 130 workers in connection with the Third Runway Project. Eighteen out of the 23 former employees of the main contractor and a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project charged earlier had pleaded guilty or were found guilty after trial, receiving sentences up to 16 months in jail. Three others are awaiting trial.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. 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!”..The three defendants, who were charged yesterday, were site team leaders of MEL at the material time. MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works.In the first case, it is alleged that between June 2020 and March 2021, Tang conspired with two other site team leaders and other construction workers to accept bribes of $40 to $400 per working day from over 80 carpenters, general workers, riggers and electrical workers. The bribe payments received by the trio amounted to about $700,000. Tang also allegedly accepted from one of the site team leaders bribes of $100 to $200 per working day, totalling about $14,000.In addition, Tang allegedly conspired with that site team leader to instruct some workers to make false statements to ICAC officers that no rebates had been paid to the duo.In the second case, it is alleged that between March 2021 and April 2022, Jiang accepted bribes totalling over $66,000 from two carpenters, and demanded with menaces a daily payment of $300 per day from one of them in relation to his work.For the remaining case, Ting allegedly accepted bribes totalling over $22,000 from two workers between March and June 2022.ICAC enquiries revealed that the three defendants allegedly accepted bribes from workers for assisting them to secure or continue their employment with MEL, or assigning work to workers or manage them taking into account the bribes received.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. 27
Jun 2023Subcontractor charged by ICAC guilty of inflating delivery fees to 'sweeten' manager of logistics companyA logistics subcontractor, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 27) convicted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts of 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 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.Deputy Magistrate Miss Polly Chuang Po-yi adjourned the case to July 11 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.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.
Jun 2023Ex-clerk charged by ICAC admits accepting $400,000 bribes from money exchange duo over $120m remittanceA then clerk of a handbag manufacturer, charged by the ICAC, today (June 30) admitted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts that he had accepted bribes totalling over $400,000 from two employees of a currency exchange company for causing the manufacturer to remit $120 million via the currency exchange company.Kung Hoi, 55, former clerk of Creaton Enterprises Limited (Creaton), 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.Acting Principal Magistrate Miss Veronica Heung Shuk-han adjourned the case to July 14 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a clerk of Creaton, a handbag manufacturer. Among his duties was remitting funds to mainland bank accounts via currency exchange companies for Creaton’s business operation. Between May 2016 and August 2018, the defendant had conducted over 430 remittances involving a total of $120 million on behalf of Creaton through a branch of Hui’s Brothers Foreign Currency Exchange Company Limited (Hui’s Brothers).ICAC investigations revealed that remittances concerned were processed by a branch manager and a cashier of the above branch of Hui’s Brothers. The duo would arrange cash deposits, ranging from over $200 to over $20,000 each and totalling over $400,000, be made into the defendant’s bank account after handling a remittance for Creaton. The matter was revealed when Hui’s Brothers checked the books.Creaton did not allow its employees to accept advantages in relation to its business or affairs.As the relevant corruption investigation is continuing, the ICAC does not rule out further law enforcement actions.Creaton and Hui’s Brothers had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Johnny Yiu. 30
Jun 2023Ex-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. 29
Jun 2023Woman charged by ICAC jailed for 22 months over $5.7m mortgage loans fraudA mortgage loan applicant, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 29) sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment after admitting at the District Court that she had deceived two financial institutions into granting her two mortgage loans totalling $5.7 million by fraudulent means. The offences were revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the Commission.Cheung Pui-shan, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law.In sentencing, Deputy Judge Ms Ada Yim Shun-yee remarked that offences involved in this case were serious in nature. The defendant obtained loans by fraudulent means, warranting a deterrent sentence.The court heard that in 2011, the defendant acquired a property. In December 2014, she pledged the property and took out a mortgage loan of about $3.3 million (loan 1) from Wing Fung Credit Limited (WFL), a financial institution.Between December 2014 and April 2015, she further applied for two second mortgage loans in respect of the property with two other financial institutions through a loan agent. In order to apply for the two second mortgage loans, the defendant, under the arrangement and assistance of the loan agent, submitted to Universal Prestige Finance Company (UPL) a copy of the falsified agreement on loan 1 so as to falsely show that the amount of loan 1 was $1.24 million. She subsequently used the same means to make a false representation to KP Financial Services Limited (KPL) that the amount of loan 1 was $800,000.In the belief that the documents submitted by the defendant were true and accurate, UPL and KPL respectively granted her second mortgage loans of $2.4 million and $3.3 million.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that at the material time, the market value of the above property was around $4.3 million to $5.4 million. Had UPL and KPL known the mortgage loan agreements provided by the defendant were false, they would not have granted her the second mortgage loans concerned as the accumulated mortgage amount exceeded the market value of the property at that time.Enquiries also revealed that upon receipt of second mortgage loans from UPL and KPL, the defendant passed about $590,000 as “tea money” to the loan agent.UPL, KPL and WFL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer May Lam. 29
Jun 2023Three more ex-site team leaders charged by ICAC with accepting bribes from 80 Third Runway Project construction workersThree former site team leaders of a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project of the Hong Kong International Airport (Third Runway Project) were charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 28) for allegedly accepting bribes totalling over $800,000 from more than 80 construction workers in relation to their employment with the sub-contractor. One of the trio allegedly accepted bribes of over $700,000, and perverted the course of public justice by instructing workers to make false statements to the ICAC claiming that they had not paid any bribes.Tang Kwok-leung, 48; Jiang Fa, 55; and Ting Shi-tong, 61; all former site team leaders of MLife Engineering Limited (MEL), were yesterday charged in separate cases with a total of 30 charges – 25 of agent accepting an advantage; three of conspiracy for agents to accept advantages; one of conspiracy to do an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice; and one of blackmail.The three defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 30). Jiang and Ting will appear in court for plea taking, while the prosecution will later apply for transferring Tang’s case to the District Court for plea.The ICAC had taken a series of enforcement actions against solicitation and acceptance of illegal rebates from construction workers in recent years. A total of 26 people, most of whom were site team leaders of a sub-contractor, were charged with collecting bribes totalling over $1.4 million from more than 130 workers in connection with the Third Runway Project. Eighteen out of the 23 former employees of the main contractor and a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project charged earlier had pleaded guilty or were found guilty after trial, receiving sentences up to 16 months in jail. Three others are awaiting trial.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. 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!”..The three defendants, who were charged yesterday, were site team leaders of MEL at the material time. MEL was a sub-contractor of the Third Runway Project responsible for recruiting construction workers to conduct various works.In the first case, it is alleged that between June 2020 and March 2021, Tang conspired with two other site team leaders and other construction workers to accept bribes of $40 to $400 per working day from over 80 carpenters, general workers, riggers and electrical workers. The bribe payments received by the trio amounted to about $700,000. Tang also allegedly accepted from one of the site team leaders bribes of $100 to $200 per working day, totalling about $14,000.In addition, Tang allegedly conspired with that site team leader to instruct some workers to make false statements to ICAC officers that no rebates had been paid to the duo.In the second case, it is alleged that between March 2021 and April 2022, Jiang accepted bribes totalling over $66,000 from two carpenters, and demanded with menaces a daily payment of $300 per day from one of them in relation to his work.For the remaining case, Ting allegedly accepted bribes totalling over $22,000 from two workers between March and June 2022.ICAC enquiries revealed that the three defendants allegedly accepted bribes from workers for assisting them to secure or continue their employment with MEL, or assigning work to workers or manage them taking into account the bribes received.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. 27
Jun 2023Subcontractor charged by ICAC guilty of inflating delivery fees to 'sweeten' manager of logistics companyA logistics subcontractor, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 27) convicted at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts of 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 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.Deputy Magistrate Miss Polly Chuang Po-yi adjourned the case to July 11 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.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.