Trio charged with fraud and forgery over purchase of HOS flat
2018-12-20
Three persons have been charged by the ICAC with fraud and forgery respectively in relation to the purchase of a Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flat from the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) without paying a premium of over $2.8 million to the Government.
The defendants, who were charged yesterday (December 19), are Wu Ka-long, 36, product merchandiser of an international cosmetic products retailer, her husband Tam Ho-kit, 39; and Tse Kwok-hung, 38, proprietor of an advertising company.
Wu and Tam face a joint charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, while Tse faces a charge of forgery, contrary to Section 71 of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (December 21) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Wu was a product merchandiser of an international cosmetic products retailer. The advertising company of Tse, which was a contractor of the retailer, had never employed Wu as its employee.
In late 2012, the HA launched the Interim Scheme of Extending the Home Ownership Scheme Secondary Market to White Form Buyers, which enabled “White Form” applicants who satisfied prescribed eligibility criteria, including income and asset limits, to acquire subsidised sale flats from the secondary market without payment of a premium.
The joint charge alleges that between January 17 and June 5, 2014, Wu and Tam:
(a) falsely represented to HA that their total monthly income did not exceed the income ceiling of $40,000 for eligible applicants under the scheme;
(b) caused to be made a false employment certificate to HA which purported to show that Wu had been employed by the advertising company as a product manager for a starting salary of $16,000 per month;
(c) submitted the certificate to HA as proof of Wu’s monthly income; and
(d) applied to HA for a certificate of eligibility to purchase (CEP) and a letter of nominations (LN) in respect of a HOS flat in Tung Yuk Court, Shau Kei Wan when they were not eligible for them.
With intent to defraud, Wu and Tam allegedly induced HA to issue the CEP and LN to them for acquisition of the flat, which resulted in benefit to them or prejudice to HA.
The other charge alleges that between January 17 and June 5, 2014, Tse made a false employment letter purporting to show that the advertising company had offered employment to Wu on November 4, 2013 when in fact no such employment had been offered.
It was alleged that as a result, Wu and Tam acquired the HOS flat under the scheme at the consideration of $4.8 million without payment of a premium to the Government. The premium payable by them was over $2.8 million if they acquired the flat in the free market.
HA has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.
The defendants, who were charged yesterday (December 19), are Wu Ka-long, 36, product merchandiser of an international cosmetic products retailer, her husband Tam Ho-kit, 39; and Tse Kwok-hung, 38, proprietor of an advertising company.
Wu and Tam face a joint charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, while Tse faces a charge of forgery, contrary to Section 71 of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (December 21) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Wu was a product merchandiser of an international cosmetic products retailer. The advertising company of Tse, which was a contractor of the retailer, had never employed Wu as its employee.
In late 2012, the HA launched the Interim Scheme of Extending the Home Ownership Scheme Secondary Market to White Form Buyers, which enabled “White Form” applicants who satisfied prescribed eligibility criteria, including income and asset limits, to acquire subsidised sale flats from the secondary market without payment of a premium.
The joint charge alleges that between January 17 and June 5, 2014, Wu and Tam:
(a) falsely represented to HA that their total monthly income did not exceed the income ceiling of $40,000 for eligible applicants under the scheme;
(b) caused to be made a false employment certificate to HA which purported to show that Wu had been employed by the advertising company as a product manager for a starting salary of $16,000 per month;
(c) submitted the certificate to HA as proof of Wu’s monthly income; and
(d) applied to HA for a certificate of eligibility to purchase (CEP) and a letter of nominations (LN) in respect of a HOS flat in Tung Yuk Court, Shau Kei Wan when they were not eligible for them.
With intent to defraud, Wu and Tam allegedly induced HA to issue the CEP and LN to them for acquisition of the flat, which resulted in benefit to them or prejudice to HA.
The other charge alleges that between January 17 and June 5, 2014, Tse made a false employment letter purporting to show that the advertising company had offered employment to Wu on November 4, 2013 when in fact no such employment had been offered.
It was alleged that as a result, Wu and Tam acquired the HOS flat under the scheme at the consideration of $4.8 million without payment of a premium to the Government. The premium payable by them was over $2.8 million if they acquired the flat in the free market.
HA has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.