Ex-operational director of healthcare centre charged as ICAC probe reveals false accounting
2022-12-14
In the course of a corruption investigation by the ICAC, it was revealed that a former operational director of a private healthcare centre had allegedly falsified sales records and receipts to deceive the centre of commissions. The defendant was charged by the Commission with false accounting offences yesterday (December 13).
Sherie Lacorte Kong Pik-wai, 46, former operational director of Cardiax Lab (Asia) Limited (Cardiax Lab), faces three counts of false accounting, contrary to Section 19(1)(a) of the Theft Ordinance. The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending her appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 15) for plea.
Cardiax Lab was a private healthcare centre providing cardiovascular check-up service. According to the partnership agreements, referral agents who successfully referred a client to Cardiax Lab could obtain 10 to 30 percent of the net sales amount as commission. All referral agents were required to acknowledge receipt of commissions by signing on the agent commission receipts.
At the material time, the defendant was an operational director of Cardiax Lab responsible for preparing its sales records, issuing cheques to referral agents and handling relevant agent commission receipts for accounting purpose of Cardiax Lab. The defendant was not entitled to any referral commissions as she was not a referral agent.
The alleged offence took place between March and April 2020. The defendant had allegedly falsified three sales records of Cardiax Lab and two agent commission receipts purportedly to show that one of her friends had referred 13 clients to Cardiax Lab and had received and was entitled to agent commissions totalling about $3,800.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the friend of the defendant had never referred any clients to Cardiax Lab, signed any agent commission receipts or received any commissions.
Cardiax Lab has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Sherie Lacorte Kong Pik-wai, 46, former operational director of Cardiax Lab (Asia) Limited (Cardiax Lab), faces three counts of false accounting, contrary to Section 19(1)(a) of the Theft Ordinance. The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending her appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 15) for plea.
Cardiax Lab was a private healthcare centre providing cardiovascular check-up service. According to the partnership agreements, referral agents who successfully referred a client to Cardiax Lab could obtain 10 to 30 percent of the net sales amount as commission. All referral agents were required to acknowledge receipt of commissions by signing on the agent commission receipts.
At the material time, the defendant was an operational director of Cardiax Lab responsible for preparing its sales records, issuing cheques to referral agents and handling relevant agent commission receipts for accounting purpose of Cardiax Lab. The defendant was not entitled to any referral commissions as she was not a referral agent.
The alleged offence took place between March and April 2020. The defendant had allegedly falsified three sales records of Cardiax Lab and two agent commission receipts purportedly to show that one of her friends had referred 13 clients to Cardiax Lab and had received and was entitled to agent commissions totalling about $3,800.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the friend of the defendant had never referred any clients to Cardiax Lab, signed any agent commission receipts or received any commissions.
Cardiax Lab has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.