Eight months' jail for bribing overseas buyer to get $16m business
2000-8-30
A director of a local trading company was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment at Eastern Court today (Wednesday) for offering more than $425,000 in bribes to an overseas garment buyer to get garment orders worth $16 million.
Chu Kai-yuen, 32, director of Hildas International (HK) Ltd. (Hilda), pleaded guilty to eight counts of offering $425,898 in total to Kristen Elaine Baunach of Venator Group Australia Limited (Venator) between October 1997 and December 1998.
The bribes were for Baunach to purchase garment products from Hilda on behalf of Venator, which was a retail group based in Australia.
Baunach, currently employed by Toys “R” Us (Australia) Pty Ltd., was earlier charged with one holding count of accepting $47,062 from Chu.
She faced seven additional corruption charges of accepting $378,835 in total from Chu when appearing at the court today.
Magistrate Mr Ian Candy transferred Baunach's case to District Court for plea on September 19, 2000. Baunach was granted bail of $1 million in cash and $400,000 in her own recognizance.
The court heard that in July 1997, Baunach, while being employed by Venator as a buyer, approached Chu and allegedly offered him business on the condition that five percent of the value of purchase orders would be paid to her as “commissions”.
Between October 1997 and December 1998, Chu had paid Baunach HK$425,898 in bribes and received purchase orders totalling HK$16 million from Venator.
The management of Venator confirmed that no consent was given to Baunach to solicit or accept advantages in relation to the company's business.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Prakash Daryanani, assisted by ICAC officer Simon Chow.
Chu Kai-yuen, 32, director of Hildas International (HK) Ltd. (Hilda), pleaded guilty to eight counts of offering $425,898 in total to Kristen Elaine Baunach of Venator Group Australia Limited (Venator) between October 1997 and December 1998.
The bribes were for Baunach to purchase garment products from Hilda on behalf of Venator, which was a retail group based in Australia.
Baunach, currently employed by Toys “R” Us (Australia) Pty Ltd., was earlier charged with one holding count of accepting $47,062 from Chu.
She faced seven additional corruption charges of accepting $378,835 in total from Chu when appearing at the court today.
Magistrate Mr Ian Candy transferred Baunach's case to District Court for plea on September 19, 2000. Baunach was granted bail of $1 million in cash and $400,000 in her own recognizance.
The court heard that in July 1997, Baunach, while being employed by Venator as a buyer, approached Chu and allegedly offered him business on the condition that five percent of the value of purchase orders would be paid to her as “commissions”.
Between October 1997 and December 1998, Chu had paid Baunach HK$425,898 in bribes and received purchase orders totalling HK$16 million from Venator.
The management of Venator confirmed that no consent was given to Baunach to solicit or accept advantages in relation to the company's business.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Prakash Daryanani, assisted by ICAC officer Simon Chow.