Ex-sales executive jailed for bribery over telephone number reservation and tax evasion
2002-9-5
A former sales executive of a telecommunication company was today (Thursday) sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for accepting advantages for reserving telephone numbers and conspiracy to defraud the Inland Revenue Department over t ax deduction matters.
Lau Wah-hing, 43, former sales executive of PCCW-HKT Limited (PCCW-HKT), was earlier found guilty of two counts of accepting an advantage.
He was also convicted of three joint charges with Lo Chi-wa, 42, former manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) for conspiracy to defraud.
Lo earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of using a false document with intent to deceive HSBC and the three joint charges with Lau. He received a seven-month jail term for his role in the fraudulent scheme today.
The court heard that while employed by PCCW-HKT as a sales executive, Lau had accepted a red packet of $500 and other advantages, including cigars, for reserving certain telephone numbers for a customer, also a friend of his colleague.
The court also heard that Lau, also a part-time travel agent, had conspired together with Lo to defraud the Inland Revenue Department by abusing HSBC's Holiday Travel Allowance Scheme.
Under the scheme, HSBC employees were allowed to exclude a maximum of 10 per cent of their annual basic salary from their annual remuneration for tax deduction purpose.
For the taxation years of 1999, 2000 and 2001, Lo approached Lau to obtain bogus receipts purporting to show that a total of $125,820 was spent on airline tickets and hotel accommodation. Each of these receipts was obtained for $100.
Lo used these false receipts to mislead HSBC into approving his applications for travel allowances, which enabled Lo to have his tax reduced by $21,389.
The prosecution was today represented by Carol Fung on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Richard Ma.
Lau Wah-hing, 43, former sales executive of PCCW-HKT Limited (PCCW-HKT), was earlier found guilty of two counts of accepting an advantage.
He was also convicted of three joint charges with Lo Chi-wa, 42, former manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) for conspiracy to defraud.
Lo earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of using a false document with intent to deceive HSBC and the three joint charges with Lau. He received a seven-month jail term for his role in the fraudulent scheme today.
The court heard that while employed by PCCW-HKT as a sales executive, Lau had accepted a red packet of $500 and other advantages, including cigars, for reserving certain telephone numbers for a customer, also a friend of his colleague.
The court also heard that Lau, also a part-time travel agent, had conspired together with Lo to defraud the Inland Revenue Department by abusing HSBC's Holiday Travel Allowance Scheme.
Under the scheme, HSBC employees were allowed to exclude a maximum of 10 per cent of their annual basic salary from their annual remuneration for tax deduction purpose.
For the taxation years of 1999, 2000 and 2001, Lo approached Lau to obtain bogus receipts purporting to show that a total of $125,820 was spent on airline tickets and hotel accommodation. Each of these receipts was obtained for $100.
Lo used these false receipts to mislead HSBC into approving his applications for travel allowances, which enabled Lo to have his tax reduced by $21,389.
The prosecution was today represented by Carol Fung on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Richard Ma.