Two managers of a supermarket, charged by the ICAC for allegedly conspiring to defraud customers over the place of origin of meat products being sold at the supermarket, today (Thursday) pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Mr Robert McNair at Eastern Mag istracy.

Tong Chung-wai, 49, and Lai Chi-wai, 32, both managers of the Park'n Shop, had their case adjourned to September 9 for trial.

The duo faced one count of conspiracy to defraud customers of Park'n Shop Limited, between December 1, 2000 and June 7, 2001, by dishonestly:

- falsely representing to the customers of Park'n Shop that the place of origin for certain chicken fillets for sale at an outlet of Park’n Shop was Brazil;

- falsely representing to the customers of Park'n Shop that the price printed on the labels for certain chicken fillets for sale at an outlet of Park'n Shop was correct; and

- inducing the customers of Park'n Shop to buy certain chicken fillets as having come from Brazil and/or at a price greater than the correct retail price.

The case arose from a corruption complaint that some staff of a supermarket might have corruptly received advantages for inflating the sales volume of chicken meat.

The complaint also alleged that the staff might have bribed their colleagues for conniving at the false representation over the place of origin and false sales turnover of the chicken meat.

Subsequent investigations revealed the alleged offence.

The defendants were each granted bail and were ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Brenda Wong Yuk-fei.