Programme Officer and wife arrested for alleged fraudulent scheme to cheat $160,000 over computerized music scheduling system
2001-5-21
The ICAC today (Monday) arrested a Programme Officer of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) for his alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme to embezzle more than $160,000 in implementing a computerized music scheduling system.
The officer was alleged to have inflated the wages paid to freelance workers recruited under a special project on Radio 4, and made the freelancers to return their excessive payments using fraudulent means.
The wife of the Programme Officer, who is a freelance piano teacher, was also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting her husband in the scam.
The project involved the computerization of various composers' data into Radio 4's system. It was designed to facilitate disc jockeys to retrieve relevant information for their programmes.
The arrested officer was responsible for implementing the project, including the recruiting of freelance typists for data entry. Most of the freelance workers recruited were music students from universities. Wages were calculated according to the volume of work they were assigned.
The ICAC commenced an investigation after receiving a corruption complaint in relation to the awarding of freelance jobs for the project.
Investigations revealed that amongst the 60 odd freelance typists recruited between end of 1998 and end of 2000, at least 12 of them received payments exceeding the wages they were entitled to.
After they received payments from the Treasury, they were approached by the officer, who allegedly asked them to return the excessive amount on the pretext that the money would be diverted for making payments to those "freelancers" not registered with RTH K.
RTHK offered full assistance during the ICAC investigation.
The officer and his wife would be released later this evening. Inquiries are continuing.
The officer was alleged to have inflated the wages paid to freelance workers recruited under a special project on Radio 4, and made the freelancers to return their excessive payments using fraudulent means.
The wife of the Programme Officer, who is a freelance piano teacher, was also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting her husband in the scam.
The project involved the computerization of various composers' data into Radio 4's system. It was designed to facilitate disc jockeys to retrieve relevant information for their programmes.
The arrested officer was responsible for implementing the project, including the recruiting of freelance typists for data entry. Most of the freelance workers recruited were music students from universities. Wages were calculated according to the volume of work they were assigned.
The ICAC commenced an investigation after receiving a corruption complaint in relation to the awarding of freelance jobs for the project.
Investigations revealed that amongst the 60 odd freelance typists recruited between end of 1998 and end of 2000, at least 12 of them received payments exceeding the wages they were entitled to.
After they received payments from the Treasury, they were approached by the officer, who allegedly asked them to return the excessive amount on the pretext that the money would be diverted for making payments to those "freelancers" not registered with RTH K.
RTHK offered full assistance during the ICAC investigation.
The officer and his wife would be released later this evening. Inquiries are continuing.