An honorary voting member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to two years' imprisonment at the District Court for soliciting and accepting advantages totalling $450,000 in relation to an application for the membership of HKJC.

The defendant, 70, a company director, was found guilty of one count of agent soliciting an advantage and three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

Deputy Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on also ordered the defendant to pay HKJC a restitution of $350,000.

The court heard that in October 2006, a middleman contacted the defendant, who was then a voting member, and told him that a woman, who was already a racing member of HKJC, wanted to become a full member. The middleman then arranged for the defendant to meet the woman at a hotel.

On October 11, the woman transferred $800,000 into the middleman's bank account.

After withdrawing $500,000 from his bank account, the middleman deposited $250,000 into the defendant's bank account on October 17 upon the defendant's request for a $200,000 loan in return for supporting the woman's membership application.

On October 31, the defendant wrote to HKJC, enclosing an application form filled out by the woman for full membership.

On the application form, the defendant signed as a "proposer" recommending the woman to be a full member. In the letter, the defendant requested HKJC to expedite processing the application.

The defendant sent an email to the woman on the same day, telling her that the application form had been submitted to HKJC. He also attached the letter to the email.

The court heard that one month later, the middleman deposited $100,000 into the defendant's bank account.

On December 1, 2006, the middleman met the defendant in a hotel. During the meeting, the middleman gave the defendant an envelope containing a sum of $50,000 in cash and a cheque for $50,000.

After leaving the hotel, the defendant was arrested by ICAC officers. The envelope containing the cash and the cheque, together with the deposit slip for the above $100,000, was recovered from the defendant.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jonathan Man, assisted by ICAC officer Phoebe Saesam.