Four charged with bribery over provision of business information
2015-11-4
Four persons, including three senior executives of an ice cube manufacturer, have been charged by the ICAC today (Wednesday) with offering and accepting advantages, namely payments of money and employment, for giving information relating to businesses of its competitors.
The defendants are Shiu Wing-pan, 58, director cum shareholder of Shiu Pong Ice (Cube Ice and Ice Carving) Limited (SPI); Cheung Ka-fai, 48, operation manager of SPI; Tsang Chiu-wah, 42, senior manager of SPI; and Tam Ming-faat, 31, then driver of Noble Gainer Limited (NGL), a rival company of SPI.
Shiu, Cheung and Tsang jointly face two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance, while Cheung and Tsang further face one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Tam alone faces one count of agent accepting advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The defendants will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistracy on Friday (November 6) for plea.
At the material time, Shiu was a director cum shareholder of SPI, a manufacturer of consumable ice packs for sale to eateries in Hong Kong, while Cheung and Tsang were its operation manager and senior manager respectively. Tam was a driver of NGL, but later joined SPI.
One of the charges alleges that between July 1, 2012 and March 5, 2013, Shiu, Cheung and Tsang conspired together to offer advantages, namely payments of money and also employment at SPI, to Tam as rewards for Tam giving information relating to the business and/or operation of NGL, which might assist in SPI’s ice trading.
Another charge alleges Tam of having accepted the above payments of money and also employment at SPI from Shiu, Cheung and Tsang for the same purpose. The alleged payments of money accepted by Tam were said to amount to $37,500.
A third charge alleges that between April 23 and 27, 2013, Cheung and Tsang offered a monthly payment of money to another driver of NGL for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that on April 24, 2013, Shiu, Cheung and Tsang conspired together to offer a monthly payment of $3,000 and also employment at SPI to a driver of NGL and its dealer, Jumbo Top (H.K.) Limited (JTL), as rewards for giving information relating to the business and/or operation of NGL and/or JTL, which might assist in SPI’s ice trading.
NGL and JTL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Friday.
The defendants are Shiu Wing-pan, 58, director cum shareholder of Shiu Pong Ice (Cube Ice and Ice Carving) Limited (SPI); Cheung Ka-fai, 48, operation manager of SPI; Tsang Chiu-wah, 42, senior manager of SPI; and Tam Ming-faat, 31, then driver of Noble Gainer Limited (NGL), a rival company of SPI.
Shiu, Cheung and Tsang jointly face two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance, while Cheung and Tsang further face one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Tam alone faces one count of agent accepting advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The defendants will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistracy on Friday (November 6) for plea.
At the material time, Shiu was a director cum shareholder of SPI, a manufacturer of consumable ice packs for sale to eateries in Hong Kong, while Cheung and Tsang were its operation manager and senior manager respectively. Tam was a driver of NGL, but later joined SPI.
One of the charges alleges that between July 1, 2012 and March 5, 2013, Shiu, Cheung and Tsang conspired together to offer advantages, namely payments of money and also employment at SPI, to Tam as rewards for Tam giving information relating to the business and/or operation of NGL, which might assist in SPI’s ice trading.
Another charge alleges Tam of having accepted the above payments of money and also employment at SPI from Shiu, Cheung and Tsang for the same purpose. The alleged payments of money accepted by Tam were said to amount to $37,500.
A third charge alleges that between April 23 and 27, 2013, Cheung and Tsang offered a monthly payment of money to another driver of NGL for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that on April 24, 2013, Shiu, Cheung and Tsang conspired together to offer a monthly payment of $3,000 and also employment at SPI to a driver of NGL and its dealer, Jumbo Top (H.K.) Limited (JTL), as rewards for giving information relating to the business and/or operation of NGL and/or JTL, which might assist in SPI’s ice trading.
NGL and JTL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Friday.