Air hostess found guilty of taking bribes
2000-1-14
A flight attendant of Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (Cathay Pacific) was today (Friday) convicted of taking bribes for nominating a man for a scheme which entitled him to concessionary airline tickets.
Appearing at Eastern Court, Yeoh Kar-miin, 25, was found guilty of three counts of accepting $5,980 in total from Lau Yuen-tat and Man Kin-wing for issuing concessionary tickets for Man.
The offences took place between December 1998 and January 1999.
Magistrate Mr Lambert Lee adjourned the case to January 28, 2000 for sentence, pending background and community service reports.
As part of staff fringe benefit scheme, all Cathay Pacific employees are entitled to travel on Cathay Pacific flights at 10% of the advertised rates. The employees’ parents, spouse and siblings enjoy the same benefit while single employees can nominate their friends as their travel companions who can also travel under the scheme.
The court heard that in 1995, Man and Lau requested the defendant to nominate Man as her travel companion so that Man could travel on Cathay Pacific flights at 10% of the advertised rates. Man and Lau offered the defendant $2,800 as a reward.
The defendant subsequently nominated Man as her travel companion. They signed a declaration as required by Cathay Pacific. The declaration states that Cathay Pacific employees are not permitted to solicit or accept any advantages in relation to concessi onary tickets while the nominated travel companions are prohibited from offering advantages to Cathay Pacific employees.
Between December 1998 and January 1999, the defendant accepted $5,980 in total from Man and Lau as a reward for issuing concessionary tickets for Man.
Man and Lau, charged with conspiracy to offer advantages, will face trial later this month.
Yeoh was granted bail of $2,000 in cash and $50,000 in cash sureties. She was also ordered to surrender her travel documents and not to leave Hong Kong.
The prosecution was today represented by Leung Chun-keung on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Venus Shum.
Appearing at Eastern Court, Yeoh Kar-miin, 25, was found guilty of three counts of accepting $5,980 in total from Lau Yuen-tat and Man Kin-wing for issuing concessionary tickets for Man.
The offences took place between December 1998 and January 1999.
Magistrate Mr Lambert Lee adjourned the case to January 28, 2000 for sentence, pending background and community service reports.
As part of staff fringe benefit scheme, all Cathay Pacific employees are entitled to travel on Cathay Pacific flights at 10% of the advertised rates. The employees’ parents, spouse and siblings enjoy the same benefit while single employees can nominate their friends as their travel companions who can also travel under the scheme.
The court heard that in 1995, Man and Lau requested the defendant to nominate Man as her travel companion so that Man could travel on Cathay Pacific flights at 10% of the advertised rates. Man and Lau offered the defendant $2,800 as a reward.
The defendant subsequently nominated Man as her travel companion. They signed a declaration as required by Cathay Pacific. The declaration states that Cathay Pacific employees are not permitted to solicit or accept any advantages in relation to concessi onary tickets while the nominated travel companions are prohibited from offering advantages to Cathay Pacific employees.
Between December 1998 and January 1999, the defendant accepted $5,980 in total from Man and Lau as a reward for issuing concessionary tickets for Man.
Man and Lau, charged with conspiracy to offer advantages, will face trial later this month.
Yeoh was granted bail of $2,000 in cash and $50,000 in cash sureties. She was also ordered to surrender her travel documents and not to leave Hong Kong.
The prosecution was today represented by Leung Chun-keung on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Venus Shum.