Ex-cleaning supervisor charged by ICAC jailed for 20 months for $860,000 false attendance wage fraud revealed in graft probe
2023-4-4
A former cleaning supervisor of a contractor of a private residential estate, charged by the ICAC, was today (April 4) sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts for deceiving the contractor into paying wages totalling over $860,000 by falsifying the attendance records of three cleaning workers. The offences were revealed in the course of a corruption investigation by the ICAC.
Cheng Chin-to, 63, former cleaning supervisor of Cheung Kee Environment Limited (Cheung Kee), earlier pleaded guilty to six charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance; two of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law; and two of forgery, contrary to Section 71 of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Tobias Cheng Yun-chung said the case was serious in nature as there was a breach of trust which lasted a long period and involved a substantial amount of money, warranting a deterrent sentence.
Between April 2019 and January 2021, the defendant was a cleaning supervisor of Cheung Kee, which was a cleaning services contractor of Sun Tuen Mun Centre in Tuen Mun. He was responsible for supervising cleaning workers employed by Cheung Kee or supplied by its subcontractor – Beautiful Cleaning Company (Beautiful Cleaning), as well as handling their monthly attendance records for wage calculation.
The court heard that the defendant falsely represented to Cheung Kee and Beautiful Cleaning that a man was a cleaning worker at Sun Tuen Mun Centre and falsified his attendance records to induce Cheung Kee to pay wages totalling over $200,000 directly or via Beautiful Cleaning to that man.
The defendant also conspired with two other cleaning workers separately to induce Cheung Kee to pay wages in the total sum of over $660,000 to the duo by falsifying their attendance records.
In addition, the defendant made two false job application forms in the name of the above man and one of the cleaning workers to induce Cheung Kee to accept them as genuine and that the duo had respectively applied for the posts of cleaning worker and foreman.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the man, who was a full-time engineer at the material time, had never applied to Cheung Kee for any post. Meanwhile, the cleaning worker concerned had never applied for a foreman post or performed the duties of a foreman.
By forging the two job applications forms and falsifying the attendance records of the above three persons, the defendant deceived Cheung Kee into paying them wages totalling over $860,000. Afterwards, he requested two of them to return most of their wages to him, and used over $200,000 to repay his loan owed to the third person.
Cheung Kee and Beautiful Cleaning had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Zacky Chan.
Cheng Chin-to, 63, former cleaning supervisor of Cheung Kee Environment Limited (Cheung Kee), earlier pleaded guilty to six charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance; two of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law; and two of forgery, contrary to Section 71 of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Tobias Cheng Yun-chung said the case was serious in nature as there was a breach of trust which lasted a long period and involved a substantial amount of money, warranting a deterrent sentence.
Between April 2019 and January 2021, the defendant was a cleaning supervisor of Cheung Kee, which was a cleaning services contractor of Sun Tuen Mun Centre in Tuen Mun. He was responsible for supervising cleaning workers employed by Cheung Kee or supplied by its subcontractor – Beautiful Cleaning Company (Beautiful Cleaning), as well as handling their monthly attendance records for wage calculation.
The court heard that the defendant falsely represented to Cheung Kee and Beautiful Cleaning that a man was a cleaning worker at Sun Tuen Mun Centre and falsified his attendance records to induce Cheung Kee to pay wages totalling over $200,000 directly or via Beautiful Cleaning to that man.
The defendant also conspired with two other cleaning workers separately to induce Cheung Kee to pay wages in the total sum of over $660,000 to the duo by falsifying their attendance records.
In addition, the defendant made two false job application forms in the name of the above man and one of the cleaning workers to induce Cheung Kee to accept them as genuine and that the duo had respectively applied for the posts of cleaning worker and foreman.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that the man, who was a full-time engineer at the material time, had never applied to Cheung Kee for any post. Meanwhile, the cleaning worker concerned had never applied for a foreman post or performed the duties of a foreman.
By forging the two job applications forms and falsifying the attendance records of the above three persons, the defendant deceived Cheung Kee into paying them wages totalling over $860,000. Afterwards, he requested two of them to return most of their wages to him, and used over $200,000 to repay his loan owed to the third person.
Cheung Kee and Beautiful Cleaning had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Zacky Chan.