Ex-property management officer charged by ICAC with POBO offences for using false transaction records
2023-3-28
A former officer of a property management company was charged by the ICAC today (March 28) with offences under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) for allegedly using various transaction records tables containing false information to mislead the company when parking rentals totalling about $270,000 of an estate were deposited in the bank account of the estate’s incorporated owners (IO).
Lau Wai-tong, 59, former customer service officer of Hong Yip Service Company Limited (Hong Yip), faces 14 counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) the POBO. He was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday (March 30) for plea.
At the material time, Hong Yip was the management company of Kwai Hong Court in Kwai Chung – an estate built under the Home Ownership Scheme. Its IO owned 10 parking spaces for leasing while tenants could pay monthly rentals in cash or by cheque. The defendant was responsible for collecting rentals, depositing them in the IO’s bank account and updating a bank passbook accordingly.
Between February 2015 and April 2016, the defendant allegedly used 14 transaction records tables containing false statements and the relevant copies of the bank passbook’s extracts to mislead Hong Yip when the parking rentals were deposited in the bank account of Kwai Hong Court’s IO.
The investigation arose from a complaint filed with the ICAC. Enquiries revealed that various parking rentals totalling about $270,000 were deposited in the bank account later than the dates shown on the above documents by six to 70 days.
Hong Yip and Kwai Hong Court’s IO have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Lau Wai-tong, 59, former customer service officer of Hong Yip Service Company Limited (Hong Yip), faces 14 counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) the POBO. He was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday (March 30) for plea.
At the material time, Hong Yip was the management company of Kwai Hong Court in Kwai Chung – an estate built under the Home Ownership Scheme. Its IO owned 10 parking spaces for leasing while tenants could pay monthly rentals in cash or by cheque. The defendant was responsible for collecting rentals, depositing them in the IO’s bank account and updating a bank passbook accordingly.
Between February 2015 and April 2016, the defendant allegedly used 14 transaction records tables containing false statements and the relevant copies of the bank passbook’s extracts to mislead Hong Yip when the parking rentals were deposited in the bank account of Kwai Hong Court’s IO.
The investigation arose from a complaint filed with the ICAC. Enquiries revealed that various parking rentals totalling about $270,000 were deposited in the bank account later than the dates shown on the above documents by six to 70 days.
Hong Yip and Kwai Hong Court’s IO have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.