14 former garment inspectors charged over $4.8m bribery scam
2000-9-21
The ICAC today (Thursday) charged 14 former employees of an international garment trading firm for alleged involvement in a $4.8 million bribery scheme.
The defendants are all former staff of Otto International (HK) Limited (Otto).
They were said to have taken part in an elaborate scheme to collect bribes from 17 suppliers on a regular basis in return for approving the garment products they supplied to Otto for export purposes.
Former senior quality control inspector Don Sau-chun, 37; and former quality control inspectors Lau Kam-shan, 47; Wong Kai-wah, 46; Suen Wai-tei, 49; Chow Kin-sang, 41; Cheng Kwok-kong, 34; Chan Tung-leung, 57; Cheung Lai-sing, 39; Chow Sui-fun, 37; Kam L im-chi, 33; Lei Chi-meng, 42; Pu Sing-fong, 31; Yiu Yee-ho, 47; and Ng Kai-wah, 47, face a total of six bribery charges.
They will appear at 9:30 am in Eastern Court tomorrow (Friday) .
Otto is a German firm dealing in the export of garments. It sources garments from suppliers of Hong Kong, Macau, the Mainland and other South East Asian countries.
Before these garments are released for export to overseas countries, they are required to undergo quality inspection by the company.
The defendants, while being employed by the company, were tasked to check and recommend if the quality of the garments was acceptable for export.
If the quality was found to be unacceptable, the garments would be rejected and returned to suppliers for alteration or correction.
The 14 defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to accept sums of money from garment suppliers in return for approving the garments supplied by the latter.
All defendants, except Yiu and Ng, jointly face one further count of conspiracy to accept bribes.
Yiu and Ng each faces two charges alleging them of conspiracy to offer bribes to another former senior quality control inspector Shiu Wai-sang.
The alleged offences took place between January 1, 1990 and April 17 this year.
Shiu was earlier charged by the ICAC with two counts of conspiracy to accept advantages. He is due to appear in District Court for plea tomorrow.
The defendants are all former staff of Otto International (HK) Limited (Otto).
They were said to have taken part in an elaborate scheme to collect bribes from 17 suppliers on a regular basis in return for approving the garment products they supplied to Otto for export purposes.
Former senior quality control inspector Don Sau-chun, 37; and former quality control inspectors Lau Kam-shan, 47; Wong Kai-wah, 46; Suen Wai-tei, 49; Chow Kin-sang, 41; Cheng Kwok-kong, 34; Chan Tung-leung, 57; Cheung Lai-sing, 39; Chow Sui-fun, 37; Kam L im-chi, 33; Lei Chi-meng, 42; Pu Sing-fong, 31; Yiu Yee-ho, 47; and Ng Kai-wah, 47, face a total of six bribery charges.
They will appear at 9:30 am in Eastern Court tomorrow (Friday) .
Otto is a German firm dealing in the export of garments. It sources garments from suppliers of Hong Kong, Macau, the Mainland and other South East Asian countries.
Before these garments are released for export to overseas countries, they are required to undergo quality inspection by the company.
The defendants, while being employed by the company, were tasked to check and recommend if the quality of the garments was acceptable for export.
If the quality was found to be unacceptable, the garments would be rejected and returned to suppliers for alteration or correction.
The 14 defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to accept sums of money from garment suppliers in return for approving the garments supplied by the latter.
All defendants, except Yiu and Ng, jointly face one further count of conspiracy to accept bribes.
Yiu and Ng each faces two charges alleging them of conspiracy to offer bribes to another former senior quality control inspector Shiu Wai-sang.
The alleged offences took place between January 1, 1990 and April 17 this year.
Shiu was earlier charged by the ICAC with two counts of conspiracy to accept advantages. He is due to appear in District Court for plea tomorrow.