Court of Appeal upholds Ewan Launder's graft conviction
2001-3-19
The Court of Appeal today (Monday) dismissed former chief executive of Wardley Limited Ewan Quayle Launder's appeal against his conviction of accepting a $4.5 million bribe from former boss of the now defunct Carrian Group George Tan Soon-gin.
Launder, 65, was found guilty in April last year by a jury at the Court of First Instance of one bribery charge. He was sentenced to five years in jail and was ordered to pay $4.5 million in restitution.
He was acquitted of the 12 remaining charges.
Launder's application was heard before Mr Justice Stuart-Moore, Mr Justice Simon Mayo and Mr Justice Conrad Seagroatt.
In a judgment handed down by Mr Justice Stuart-Moore, all the nine grounds of appeal raised by the appellant were dismissed.
First, the Court of Appeal did not accept the appellant's argument that his guilty verdict was inconsistent with the verdicts of not guilty on the remaining counts.
In addition, the Court of Appeal also found the appellant's criticisms regarding the trial judge's directions to the jury and his treatment of the summing up in the defence case without foundation.
The Court of Appeal was satisfied with the trial judge's direction to the jury and found that he had been balanced and fair throughout the summing up.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed other grounds of appeal concerning depositions obtained by letters of requests, and the trial judge's management of the jury after they retired to consider their verdict.
Launder was found guilty of one count of having accepted or agreed to accept $4.5 million from George Tan Soon-gin, on or about October 11, 1980, in return for showing favour to Carrian Holdings Limited or Carrian Investments Limited or other companies co ntrolled by Tan in relation to his principal's business.
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.
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.
Launder, 65, was found guilty in April last year by a jury at the Court of First Instance of one bribery charge. He was sentenced to five years in jail and was ordered to pay $4.5 million in restitution.
He was acquitted of the 12 remaining charges.
Launder's application was heard before Mr Justice Stuart-Moore, Mr Justice Simon Mayo and Mr Justice Conrad Seagroatt.
In a judgment handed down by Mr Justice Stuart-Moore, all the nine grounds of appeal raised by the appellant were dismissed.
First, the Court of Appeal did not accept the appellant's argument that his guilty verdict was inconsistent with the verdicts of not guilty on the remaining counts.
In addition, the Court of Appeal also found the appellant's criticisms regarding the trial judge's directions to the jury and his treatment of the summing up in the defence case without foundation.
The Court of Appeal was satisfied with the trial judge's direction to the jury and found that he had been balanced and fair throughout the summing up.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed other grounds of appeal concerning depositions obtained by letters of requests, and the trial judge's management of the jury after they retired to consider their verdict.
Launder was found guilty of one count of having accepted or agreed to accept $4.5 million from George Tan Soon-gin, on or about October 11, 1980, in return for showing favour to Carrian Holdings Limited or Carrian Investments Limited or other companies co ntrolled by Tan in relation to his principal's business.
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.
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.