Property agent charged by ICAC admits bribing supervisor over property transactions
2022-2-25
A property agent, charged by the ICAC, today (February 25) admitted at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts that he had offered bribes totalling over $37,000 to his supervisor for naming him as a negotiator in two property transactions.
Lau Tsz-yeung, 30, senior account manager of Centaline Property Agency Limited (Centaline Property), pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Magistrate Mr Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu adjourned the case to March 25 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was granted cash bail.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a senior account manager of Centaline Property posted to a branch in Tuen Mun. According to Centaline Property’s policy, the defendant and the manager of the branch would respectively receive a sales commission and an overriding commission for a property transaction procured by the defendant.
Centaline Property prohibited branch managers from soliciting or accepting any advantages from their subordinates for arranging them to handle or assist in handling property transactions procured by branch managers.
In January and May 2018, two clients of Centaline Property purchased two private residential properties in Tuen Mun. Although the above branch manager procured the two property transactions, he proposed to name the defendant as the negotiator in those transactions.
Afterwards Centaline Property paid sales commissions totalling over $91,000 to the defendant for the two property transactions. Upon the request of the branch manager, the defendant paid two bribes totalling over $37,000 to the branch manager for naming him as the negotiator in the two property transactions.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Centaline Property had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by fiat prosecutor Louisa Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Monica Lo.
Lau Tsz-yeung, 30, senior account manager of Centaline Property Agency Limited (Centaline Property), pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Magistrate Mr Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu adjourned the case to March 25 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was granted cash bail.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a senior account manager of Centaline Property posted to a branch in Tuen Mun. According to Centaline Property’s policy, the defendant and the manager of the branch would respectively receive a sales commission and an overriding commission for a property transaction procured by the defendant.
Centaline Property prohibited branch managers from soliciting or accepting any advantages from their subordinates for arranging them to handle or assist in handling property transactions procured by branch managers.
In January and May 2018, two clients of Centaline Property purchased two private residential properties in Tuen Mun. Although the above branch manager procured the two property transactions, he proposed to name the defendant as the negotiator in those transactions.
Afterwards Centaline Property paid sales commissions totalling over $91,000 to the defendant for the two property transactions. Upon the request of the branch manager, the defendant paid two bribes totalling over $37,000 to the branch manager for naming him as the negotiator in the two property transactions.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Centaline Property had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by fiat prosecutor Louisa Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Monica Lo.