Company director charged by ICAC with conspiracy to defraud over $390,000 election expenses at 2020 LegCo Election
2023-4-27
A director of a trading company was charged by the ICAC yesterday (April 26) for allegedly conspiring with a candidate of the 2020 Legislative Council General Election (2020 LegCo Election) for the Hong Kong Island Geographical Constituency to deceive the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) into reimbursing election expenses totalling about $390,000 by making a false representation that his company had provided design and shooting services to the candidate.
Lam Kien, 40, sole director and shareholder of Betterment Trading Limited (Betterment Trading), faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law. He was released on ICAC bail and would appear at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 28) for mention, pending the prosecution’s application for transferring the case to the District Court.
The 2020 LegCo Election was originally scheduled to be held on September 6, 2020. Due to the pandemic situation, the Government announced on July 31, 2020 that the election would be postponed for one year.
In accordance with the Emergency (Date of General Election) (Seventh Term of the Legislative Council) Regulation (the Regulation) and the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, candidates were required to submit their election returns to the REO on or before September 29, 2020. An election return should set out all election expenses and election donations incurred by a candidate for an election.
After the Government announced the discontinuation of the 2020 LegCo Election, the Regulation provided that an eligible person was entitled to receive a payment from the Government equivalent to the declared election expenses. On September 28, 2020, Tang Wai-chun, a candidate of the 2020 LegCo Election for the Hong Kong Island Geographical Constituency, submitted to the REO an election return together with supporting documents and a claim form to apply for the Government payment.
It is alleged that in September 2020, Lam conspired together with Tang to defraud the REO by falsely representing to the REO that Betterment Trading had provided services to Tang to induce the REO to reimburse a total of about $390,000 to Tang.
The ICAC investigation arose from a complaint referred by the REO. Enquiries revealed that an invoice of Betterment Trading was attached when Tang submitted his election return. The invoice involving election expenses totalling about $390,000 in relation to various services, including design, photo-shooting and video-shooting, purportedly provided by Betterment Trading.
It is alleged that Betterment Trading, which engaged in toy trading, had never provided to Tang the services shown on the invoice concerned. Lam was charged pursuant to the legal advice sought from the Department of Justice.
The REO has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Lam Kien, 40, sole director and shareholder of Betterment Trading Limited (Betterment Trading), faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to the Common Law. He was released on ICAC bail and would appear at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 28) for mention, pending the prosecution’s application for transferring the case to the District Court.
The 2020 LegCo Election was originally scheduled to be held on September 6, 2020. Due to the pandemic situation, the Government announced on July 31, 2020 that the election would be postponed for one year.
In accordance with the Emergency (Date of General Election) (Seventh Term of the Legislative Council) Regulation (the Regulation) and the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, candidates were required to submit their election returns to the REO on or before September 29, 2020. An election return should set out all election expenses and election donations incurred by a candidate for an election.
After the Government announced the discontinuation of the 2020 LegCo Election, the Regulation provided that an eligible person was entitled to receive a payment from the Government equivalent to the declared election expenses. On September 28, 2020, Tang Wai-chun, a candidate of the 2020 LegCo Election for the Hong Kong Island Geographical Constituency, submitted to the REO an election return together with supporting documents and a claim form to apply for the Government payment.
It is alleged that in September 2020, Lam conspired together with Tang to defraud the REO by falsely representing to the REO that Betterment Trading had provided services to Tang to induce the REO to reimburse a total of about $390,000 to Tang.
The ICAC investigation arose from a complaint referred by the REO. Enquiries revealed that an invoice of Betterment Trading was attached when Tang submitted his election return. The invoice involving election expenses totalling about $390,000 in relation to various services, including design, photo-shooting and video-shooting, purportedly provided by Betterment Trading.
It is alleged that Betterment Trading, which engaged in toy trading, had never provided to Tang the services shown on the invoice concerned. Lam was charged pursuant to the legal advice sought from the Department of Justice.
The REO has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.