An owner of a New Zealand asset holding company (Company A) has been today (Monday) charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to offer over HK$73 million and two properties in New Zealand as bribes in relation to the acquisition of her company by a Hong Kong listed company and with laundering NZ$150 million in crime proceeds.

The defendant, 49, faces one count of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance; and two of dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

The defendant, currently on ICAC bail, will appear at Eastern Magistracy at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow (October 18) for mention, pending further enquiries.

At the time of the alleged offences, Company B was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

The conspiracy charge alleges that between May 2009 and March 2010, the defendant conspired together and with an executive director of Company B, and other persons to offer two properties in Auckland, New Zealand and a sum of over HK$73 million to that the executive director as rewards for him to procure Company B to acquire Company A.

The two remaining charges allege that between December 2009 and December 2010, the defendant dealt with the sales proceeds of Company A, including two convertible notes of Company B with a total value of NZ$150 million, which represented the proceeds of an indictable offence.

The ICAC appreciates the cross-jurisdictional assistance provided by the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office in this investigation.