Ex-supervisor of bakery charged with bribery and fraud over subordinates’ false attendance
2020-9-21
A former supervisor of a bakery was charged by the ICAC last Friday (September 18) for separately conspiring with two subordinates to defraud the bakery of wages totalling about $25,000 by falsifying attendance records and accepting bribes totalling over $22,000 from them.
Koo Chi-fu, 40, former senior supervisor of A-1 Bakery Co., (HK) Limited (A-1 Bakery), faces four charges – two of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance, and two of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear in the Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 22) for plea.
At the material time, the defendant was employed by A-1 Bakery as a senior supervisor. He was posted to work at a baking factory in Shatin during night shifts, responsible for preparing duty rosters and supervising his subordinates, including a senior team leader and a senior baker.
Staff members working at the baking factory were required to tap their staff cards on a card reader when reporting on and off duty to record their attendance.
Two of the charges allege that between January 3, 2017 and March 7, 2019, the defendant conspired together with the aforesaid senior team leader and senior baker separately to defraud A-1 Bakery by falsely representing that the duo had reported duties at the baking factory, thereby causing and inducing A-1 Bakery to pay wages totalling about $25,000 to them.
The two remaining charges allege that between January 3, 2017 and January 30, 2019, the defendant conspired together with the senior team leader and senior baker separately for the defendant to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept over $22,000 in total from the duo as an inducement to or reward for tapping their staff cards to help them report duties when they were in fact absent from work.
It is alleged that the defendant had helped the duo to report duties by tapping their staff cards on 45 occasions.
A-1 Bakery has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance tomorrow.
Koo Chi-fu, 40, former senior supervisor of A-1 Bakery Co., (HK) Limited (A-1 Bakery), faces four charges – two of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance, and two of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear in the Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 22) for plea.
At the material time, the defendant was employed by A-1 Bakery as a senior supervisor. He was posted to work at a baking factory in Shatin during night shifts, responsible for preparing duty rosters and supervising his subordinates, including a senior team leader and a senior baker.
Staff members working at the baking factory were required to tap their staff cards on a card reader when reporting on and off duty to record their attendance.
Two of the charges allege that between January 3, 2017 and March 7, 2019, the defendant conspired together with the aforesaid senior team leader and senior baker separately to defraud A-1 Bakery by falsely representing that the duo had reported duties at the baking factory, thereby causing and inducing A-1 Bakery to pay wages totalling about $25,000 to them.
The two remaining charges allege that between January 3, 2017 and January 30, 2019, the defendant conspired together with the senior team leader and senior baker separately for the defendant to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept over $22,000 in total from the duo as an inducement to or reward for tapping their staff cards to help them report duties when they were in fact absent from work.
It is alleged that the defendant had helped the duo to report duties by tapping their staff cards on 45 occasions.
A-1 Bakery has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance tomorrow.