Duo in court for alleged $400,000 video production contracts fraud
2015-11-5
A former Assistant Manager of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (HKCM) and a proprietor of a video production company appeared in Eastern Magistracy today (Thursday) after being charged by the ICAC with fraud in relation to the award of over $400,000 worth of video production service contracts.
Jenny Poon Lok-yan, 39, former Assistant Manager of HKCM, and Ho Chi-kwong, 55, sole proprietor of Video Factory, who were charged on Tuesday (November 3), faced a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Poon alone faced a charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Mr Jason Wan Siu-ming adjourned the case until December 17 this year for a pre-trial review.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Poon was employed by HKCM as Assistant Manager of its Technology Centre, whose duties included sourcing contractors to assist the centre in its film and video production. Ho was the sole proprietor of Video Factory, a company specialised in video production.
The joint charge alleged that between February 1, 2013 and March 20, 2014, Poon and Ho conspired together to defraud staff members of HKCM by making false quotations of video production services issued by contractors other than Video Factory, submitting to HKCM the false quotations as genuine quotations together with quotations of Video Factory, and falsely representing that Video Factory was the genuine lowest bidder.
As a result, Poon and Ho allegedly caused and induced staff members of HKCM to approve the award of 25 contracts of video production services to Video Factory, and part with a total sum of $335,200 as the contract price of those contracts.
The other charge alleged that between December 1, 2013 and September 1, 2014, Poon falsely represented to staff members of HKCM that quotations of video production services submitted by contractors other than a freelance cameraman were genuine, and that the freelance cameraman was the genuine lowest bidder.
With intent to defraud, Poon allegedly induced staff members of HKCM to approve the award of 15 contracts of video production services to the freelance cameraman, and part with a total sum of $77,000 as the contract price of those contracts.
Poon and Ho were granted cash bail of $20,000 each, and ordered not to contact either directly or indirectly any prosecution witnesses.
HKCM had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Yvonne Nam.
Jenny Poon Lok-yan, 39, former Assistant Manager of HKCM, and Ho Chi-kwong, 55, sole proprietor of Video Factory, who were charged on Tuesday (November 3), faced a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Poon alone faced a charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Mr Jason Wan Siu-ming adjourned the case until December 17 this year for a pre-trial review.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Poon was employed by HKCM as Assistant Manager of its Technology Centre, whose duties included sourcing contractors to assist the centre in its film and video production. Ho was the sole proprietor of Video Factory, a company specialised in video production.
The joint charge alleged that between February 1, 2013 and March 20, 2014, Poon and Ho conspired together to defraud staff members of HKCM by making false quotations of video production services issued by contractors other than Video Factory, submitting to HKCM the false quotations as genuine quotations together with quotations of Video Factory, and falsely representing that Video Factory was the genuine lowest bidder.
As a result, Poon and Ho allegedly caused and induced staff members of HKCM to approve the award of 25 contracts of video production services to Video Factory, and part with a total sum of $335,200 as the contract price of those contracts.
The other charge alleged that between December 1, 2013 and September 1, 2014, Poon falsely represented to staff members of HKCM that quotations of video production services submitted by contractors other than a freelance cameraman were genuine, and that the freelance cameraman was the genuine lowest bidder.
With intent to defraud, Poon allegedly induced staff members of HKCM to approve the award of 15 contracts of video production services to the freelance cameraman, and part with a total sum of $77,000 as the contract price of those contracts.
Poon and Ho were granted cash bail of $20,000 each, and ordered not to contact either directly or indirectly any prosecution witnesses.
HKCM had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Yvonne Nam.