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Ethical Decision MakingRecent ICAC Cases
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May 2026Former employee of property management company charged by ICAC admits accepting $1.3m in bribes from contractorA former employee of a property management company, charged by the ICAC, today (May 4) admitted at the District Court that he had accepted bribes totalling $1.3 million from a renovation works contractor for showing favour to the latter regarding property renovation works.Mak Wing-chun, 51, then senior property officer of the leasing department of New Estate Company Limited (New Estate), pleaded guilty to four counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin remanded the defendant in custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that New Estate owned and managed a portfolio of properties in Hong Kong for lease. At the material time, Mak was responsible for arranging and overseeing contractors to conduct renovation works at New Estate’s properties and certifying the completion of such works before releasing payments to contractors.New Estate had no internal procurement procedures in place between November 2020 and June 2022, and inviting quotations or conducting tenders were not required when selecting contractors. During this period, New Estate awarded its renovation works to only two contractors. Over the course of one and a half years, one of these contractors was awarded most of the renovation projects and received works payments totalling about $26 million.In mid-June 2022, New Estate’s management began requiring its leasing department to invite companies other than the two existing contractors to bid for renovation works when awarding contracts. Mak subsequently informed the contractor, which had been awarded numerous renovation projects, of the new procurement requirements and alerted the contractor that New Estate might have discovered that the cost of its works was far above the prices submitted by new bidders.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that on various occasions, Mak had accepted bribes totalling $1.3 million from the contractor for showing favour to the latter regarding arrangements and supervision of renovation works. Mak used some of the bribes to settle payments for his newly-purchased residential flat.Co-defendant Lee Shing-kan, 77, sole proprietor of Art Land Decoration Co., earlier pleaded not guilty to four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(b) of the POBO. His trial commenced at the District Court today.New Estate rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Chung, assisted by ICAC officer Eva Chan. 30
Apr 2026Shuttle bus company operations assistant charged by ICAC admits accepting $30,000 bribes over driver employmentA then operations assistant of a shuttle bus company, charged by the ICAC, today (April 30) pleaded guilty at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts to accepting bribes totalling over $32,000 in relation to the employment of a driver.Chow King-lung, 45, then operations assistant of a subsidiary of Great Leader Bus Holdings Limited (Great Leader Bus), pleaded guilty to five counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). The prosecution offered no evidence to another bribery charge against him.Magistrate Mr David Chum Yau-fong adjourned the case to May 18 for sentencing, pending the defendant’s background report, and remanded him in custody of the Correctional Services Department. The court also ordered the defendant to make restitution of about $32,000, equivalent to the bribe amount involved, to his former employer, a subsidiary of Great Leader Bus.At the material time, the defendant was responsible for employing drivers and managing transportation service operations for Great Leader Bus and its subsidiaries, including a shuttle bus route providing services to government staff. Great Leader Bus did not allow its staff to accept any advantages from drivers for their employment with Great Leader Bus and its subsidiaries.The court heard that in the five consecutive months between September 2024 and January 2025, the defendant accepted bribes totalling over $32,000 from a driver for employing her on the abovementioned route.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the defendant had solicited monthly bribes ranging from about $3,400 to $7,500 from the driver. The driver would not have been employed on the route had she not paid these bribes.Great Leader Bus rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Cody Chung. 24
Apr 2026Company director guilty of using false passport to open bank accounts as revealed in ICAC graft probeA company director, charged by the ICAC, was convicted today (April 24) at the District Court of offences including obtaining services by deception, following a corruption investigation that revealed the defendant had used a false passport to open bank accounts.Fang Siyuan, 38, was found guilty of two counts of obtaining services by deception after trial, contrary to section 18A(1) of the Theft Ordinance; and two counts of possession of a false or forged travel document, contrary to section 42(2)(c)(i) of the Immigration Ordinance.Deputy Judge Mr Ko Wai-hung adjourned the case to May 15 for sentencing, and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that the defendant met with staff from two banks in November 2020 and September 2021 respectively to apply for opening personal bank accounts. He falsely represented himself as Fong Tim, and presented a Mexican passport to the bank staff, signing the account application documents to confirm that the information provided was true and correct. Consequently, the defendant dishonestly obtained services from both banks and successfully opened eight accounts.The defendant was also convicted of possessing two false or forged travel documents: the abovementioned Mexican passport and a Canadian passport. The name and date of birth recorded on these false passports did not match the information shown on his other identity documents.The two banks concerned rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel John Marray, assisted by ICAC officer Eva Chan. 24
Apr 2026Account supervisor of party products supplier charged by ICAC sentenced to six and a half years’ jail at High Court for stealing $16mAn ICAC corruption investigation earlier revealed that a then account supervisor of a party products supplier had misappropriated company funds totalling approximately $16 million by forging signatures on over 400 cheques. The defendant was sentenced to an imprisonment of six and a half years following his guilty plea to theft at the Court of First Instance of the High Court.Tam Chun-fung, 48, then account and administration supervisor of DSL Holding Limited (DSL), pleaded guilty today (April 24) to five counts of theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft Ordinance. Two other similar charges against him were left on file at the High Court.In sentencing, Deputy High Court Judge Tony Li remarked that the defendant was the company’s sole accounting staff member. Despite being deeply trusted by his employer, the defendant breached this trust by planning and committing offences over an extended period, using sophisticated methods to misappropriate company funds and squander the stolen money. The judge took a starting point of 10 years and three months’ imprisonment for the offences. Considering the defendant’s guilty plea and other mitigating factors, the jail term was reduced to six and a half years.At the material time, the defendant was the sole employee of the accounting department of DSL, a party products supplier. He was responsible for preparing and safekeeping all company accounting records and cheques, though he was not an authorised signatory of the company’s bank account.The defendant admitted that between August 2017 and February 2024, a period of six and a half years, he successively forged signatures on more than 400 cheques to misappropriate approximately $16 million from DSL’s bank account, and transferred the sum into his personal bank accounts.The ICAC investigation found that the defendant used the monies for gambling and to support his girlfriends. He concealed the theft by falsely representing to DSL that the funds were expenses for purchasing materials and settling payments with suppliers, and by fabricating DSL’s accounting records.DSL 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 Vincent Ching.Note: An imprisonment of six years and five months was pronounced by the Court of First Instance of the High Court on April 24, 2026. At the hearing on April 28, 2026, the jail sentence was amended to six and a half years. 21
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.
May 2026Former employee of property management company charged by ICAC admits accepting $1.3m in bribes from contractorA former employee of a property management company, charged by the ICAC, today (May 4) admitted at the District Court that he had accepted bribes totalling $1.3 million from a renovation works contractor for showing favour to the latter regarding property renovation works.Mak Wing-chun, 51, then senior property officer of the leasing department of New Estate Company Limited (New Estate), pleaded guilty to four counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin remanded the defendant in custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that New Estate owned and managed a portfolio of properties in Hong Kong for lease. At the material time, Mak was responsible for arranging and overseeing contractors to conduct renovation works at New Estate’s properties and certifying the completion of such works before releasing payments to contractors.New Estate had no internal procurement procedures in place between November 2020 and June 2022, and inviting quotations or conducting tenders were not required when selecting contractors. During this period, New Estate awarded its renovation works to only two contractors. Over the course of one and a half years, one of these contractors was awarded most of the renovation projects and received works payments totalling about $26 million.In mid-June 2022, New Estate’s management began requiring its leasing department to invite companies other than the two existing contractors to bid for renovation works when awarding contracts. Mak subsequently informed the contractor, which had been awarded numerous renovation projects, of the new procurement requirements and alerted the contractor that New Estate might have discovered that the cost of its works was far above the prices submitted by new bidders.The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that on various occasions, Mak had accepted bribes totalling $1.3 million from the contractor for showing favour to the latter regarding arrangements and supervision of renovation works. Mak used some of the bribes to settle payments for his newly-purchased residential flat.Co-defendant Lee Shing-kan, 77, sole proprietor of Art Land Decoration Co., earlier pleaded not guilty to four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(b) of the POBO. His trial commenced at the District Court today.New Estate rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Chung, assisted by ICAC officer Eva Chan. 30
Apr 2026Shuttle bus company operations assistant charged by ICAC admits accepting $30,000 bribes over driver employmentA then operations assistant of a shuttle bus company, charged by the ICAC, today (April 30) pleaded guilty at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts to accepting bribes totalling over $32,000 in relation to the employment of a driver.Chow King-lung, 45, then operations assistant of a subsidiary of Great Leader Bus Holdings Limited (Great Leader Bus), pleaded guilty to five counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). The prosecution offered no evidence to another bribery charge against him.Magistrate Mr David Chum Yau-fong adjourned the case to May 18 for sentencing, pending the defendant’s background report, and remanded him in custody of the Correctional Services Department. The court also ordered the defendant to make restitution of about $32,000, equivalent to the bribe amount involved, to his former employer, a subsidiary of Great Leader Bus.At the material time, the defendant was responsible for employing drivers and managing transportation service operations for Great Leader Bus and its subsidiaries, including a shuttle bus route providing services to government staff. Great Leader Bus did not allow its staff to accept any advantages from drivers for their employment with Great Leader Bus and its subsidiaries.The court heard that in the five consecutive months between September 2024 and January 2025, the defendant accepted bribes totalling over $32,000 from a driver for employing her on the abovementioned route.The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the defendant had solicited monthly bribes ranging from about $3,400 to $7,500 from the driver. The driver would not have been employed on the route had she not paid these bribes.Great Leader Bus rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Cody Chung. 24
Apr 2026Company director guilty of using false passport to open bank accounts as revealed in ICAC graft probeA company director, charged by the ICAC, was convicted today (April 24) at the District Court of offences including obtaining services by deception, following a corruption investigation that revealed the defendant had used a false passport to open bank accounts.Fang Siyuan, 38, was found guilty of two counts of obtaining services by deception after trial, contrary to section 18A(1) of the Theft Ordinance; and two counts of possession of a false or forged travel document, contrary to section 42(2)(c)(i) of the Immigration Ordinance.Deputy Judge Mr Ko Wai-hung adjourned the case to May 15 for sentencing, and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.The court heard that the defendant met with staff from two banks in November 2020 and September 2021 respectively to apply for opening personal bank accounts. He falsely represented himself as Fong Tim, and presented a Mexican passport to the bank staff, signing the account application documents to confirm that the information provided was true and correct. Consequently, the defendant dishonestly obtained services from both banks and successfully opened eight accounts.The defendant was also convicted of possessing two false or forged travel documents: the abovementioned Mexican passport and a Canadian passport. The name and date of birth recorded on these false passports did not match the information shown on his other identity documents.The two banks concerned rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel John Marray, assisted by ICAC officer Eva Chan. 24
Apr 2026Account supervisor of party products supplier charged by ICAC sentenced to six and a half years’ jail at High Court for stealing $16mAn ICAC corruption investigation earlier revealed that a then account supervisor of a party products supplier had misappropriated company funds totalling approximately $16 million by forging signatures on over 400 cheques. The defendant was sentenced to an imprisonment of six and a half years following his guilty plea to theft at the Court of First Instance of the High Court.Tam Chun-fung, 48, then account and administration supervisor of DSL Holding Limited (DSL), pleaded guilty today (April 24) to five counts of theft, contrary to section 9 of the Theft Ordinance. Two other similar charges against him were left on file at the High Court.In sentencing, Deputy High Court Judge Tony Li remarked that the defendant was the company’s sole accounting staff member. Despite being deeply trusted by his employer, the defendant breached this trust by planning and committing offences over an extended period, using sophisticated methods to misappropriate company funds and squander the stolen money. The judge took a starting point of 10 years and three months’ imprisonment for the offences. Considering the defendant’s guilty plea and other mitigating factors, the jail term was reduced to six and a half years.At the material time, the defendant was the sole employee of the accounting department of DSL, a party products supplier. He was responsible for preparing and safekeeping all company accounting records and cheques, though he was not an authorised signatory of the company’s bank account.The defendant admitted that between August 2017 and February 2024, a period of six and a half years, he successively forged signatures on more than 400 cheques to misappropriate approximately $16 million from DSL’s bank account, and transferred the sum into his personal bank accounts.The ICAC investigation found that the defendant used the monies for gambling and to support his girlfriends. He concealed the theft by falsely representing to DSL that the funds were expenses for purchasing materials and settling payments with suppliers, and by fabricating DSL’s accounting records.DSL 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 Vincent Ching.Note: An imprisonment of six years and five months was pronounced by the Court of First Instance of the High Court on April 24, 2026. At the hearing on April 28, 2026, the jail sentence was amended to six and a half years. 21
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.