Couple charged by ICAC with using false information to conceal conflicts of interest in St. John first aid courses
2022-10-27
A couple were charged by the ICAC yesterday (October 26) respectively with offences under the anti-bribery law for allegedly using documents containing false information to conceal the husband’s conflicts of interest, causing Hong Kong St. John Ambulance (St. John) to approve him to teach first aid courses for an association in which he was the vice-chairperson; and attempted fraud over honorariums for trainers of the courses.
Sunny Lai Shun-hing, 65, faces six counts of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. His wife Chow Ho-yuet, 66, faces two counts of attempted fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. They were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (October 28) for plea.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Upon completion of the investigation, legal advice was sought from the Department of Justice and the defendants were charged pursuant to the legal advice.
The alleged offences took place between April and May, 2021. At the material time, Lai and Chow were both part-time trainers of St. John.
Upon receipt of applications from external organisations, St. John would arrange its trainers to conduct first aid courses at venues designated by the applicant organisations. Trainers were entitled to an honorarium of $80 per training hour. An applicant organisation could request designated trainers for the courses but St. John would not approve the person-in-charge of an applicant organisation to conduct training so as to avoid conflicts of interest. The relevant trainers were required to submit course attendance records to St. John.
In April 2021, St. John received seven application forms submitted by World Emergency Federation (WEF) requesting St. John to conduct seven first aid courses at a commercial building in Mong Kok in April and May, 2021. WEF stated in the applications that Lai and Chow were its preferred trainers. St. John subsequently approved the applications.
Six of the charges allege that Lai used the above seven application forms and the relevant course attendance records to mislead St. John. It is alleged that the contact person of WEF and the dates and venues of the courses on the above documents were false.
The remaining two charges allege that Chow attempted to induce St. John to pay honorariums for two of the above courses by falsely representing that she was the trainer of the courses.
ICAC investigation revealed that at the material time, Lai was the vice-chairperson of WEF. Should St. John know Lai’s role at WEF, it would not approve WEF’s applications and arrange Lai to be the trainer of the courses.
The courses concerned involved honorariums for trainers totalling about $12,000. St. John did not pay the honorariums after the matter came to its knowledge. While other trainers were assigned to conduct first aid training for the courses, qualification of the course members were not affected.
St. John has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Sunny Lai Shun-hing, 65, faces six counts of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. His wife Chow Ho-yuet, 66, faces two counts of attempted fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. They were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (October 28) for plea.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Upon completion of the investigation, legal advice was sought from the Department of Justice and the defendants were charged pursuant to the legal advice.
The alleged offences took place between April and May, 2021. At the material time, Lai and Chow were both part-time trainers of St. John.
Upon receipt of applications from external organisations, St. John would arrange its trainers to conduct first aid courses at venues designated by the applicant organisations. Trainers were entitled to an honorarium of $80 per training hour. An applicant organisation could request designated trainers for the courses but St. John would not approve the person-in-charge of an applicant organisation to conduct training so as to avoid conflicts of interest. The relevant trainers were required to submit course attendance records to St. John.
In April 2021, St. John received seven application forms submitted by World Emergency Federation (WEF) requesting St. John to conduct seven first aid courses at a commercial building in Mong Kok in April and May, 2021. WEF stated in the applications that Lai and Chow were its preferred trainers. St. John subsequently approved the applications.
Six of the charges allege that Lai used the above seven application forms and the relevant course attendance records to mislead St. John. It is alleged that the contact person of WEF and the dates and venues of the courses on the above documents were false.
The remaining two charges allege that Chow attempted to induce St. John to pay honorariums for two of the above courses by falsely representing that she was the trainer of the courses.
ICAC investigation revealed that at the material time, Lai was the vice-chairperson of WEF. Should St. John know Lai’s role at WEF, it would not approve WEF’s applications and arrange Lai to be the trainer of the courses.
The courses concerned involved honorariums for trainers totalling about $12,000. St. John did not pay the honorariums after the matter came to its knowledge. While other trainers were assigned to conduct first aid training for the courses, qualification of the course members were not affected.
St. John has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.