Former banker found guilty of accepting $4.5m bribe from ex-Carrian boss
2000-3-25
A former investment banker, Ewan Quayle Launder, was today (Saturday) found guilty by a jury at the Court of First Instance of accepting a $4.5 million bribe from George Tan Soon-gin who then controlled the now defunct Carrian Group.
Mr Justice Gareth Lugar-Mawson will hear mitigation arguments on Monday at 10:30 am, and remanded Launder in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
Launder, 63, former chief executive of Wardley Limited, was convicted on one count of having accepted or agreed to accept HK$4.5 million from Tan, on or about October 11, 1980, in return for showing favour to Carrian Holdings Limited or Carrian Investment s Limited or other companies controlled by Tan in relation to his principal's business.
"The conviction of Launder, being the last defendant in connection with the Carrian case, signifies the conclusion of a 15-year saga and the ICAC's relentless effort to pursue the corrupt," an ICAC spokesman said.
"Prior to his arrest, Launder's whereabouts had been sought by the ICAC following extensive investigation over a period of six years and spanning three continents," the spokesman said.
Launder was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 1993 by the New Scotland Yard's Extradition Squad officers on ICAC's behalf. Following protracted extradition proceedings, the House of Lords, on April 7, 1998, rejected his latest application to av oid extradition. He surrendered himself to the UK authorities on April 17 the same year.
Launder was extradited to Hong Kong from the UK on April 18, 1998. It was the first successful extradition case of the ICAC after the unification.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Ryan appeared for the prosecution today, assisted by ICAC officer Brian Carroll.
Mr Justice Gareth Lugar-Mawson will hear mitigation arguments on Monday at 10:30 am, and remanded Launder in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
Launder, 63, former chief executive of Wardley Limited, was convicted on one count of having accepted or agreed to accept HK$4.5 million from Tan, on or about October 11, 1980, in return for showing favour to Carrian Holdings Limited or Carrian Investment s Limited or other companies controlled by Tan in relation to his principal's business.
"The conviction of Launder, being the last defendant in connection with the Carrian case, signifies the conclusion of a 15-year saga and the ICAC's relentless effort to pursue the corrupt," an ICAC spokesman said.
"Prior to his arrest, Launder's whereabouts had been sought by the ICAC following extensive investigation over a period of six years and spanning three continents," the spokesman said.
Launder was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 1993 by the New Scotland Yard's Extradition Squad officers on ICAC's behalf. Following protracted extradition proceedings, the House of Lords, on April 7, 1998, rejected his latest application to av oid extradition. He surrendered himself to the UK authorities on April 17 the same year.
Launder was extradited to Hong Kong from the UK on April 18, 1998. It was the first successful extradition case of the ICAC after the unification.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Ryan appeared for the prosecution today, assisted by ICAC officer Brian Carroll.