TELA officers charged for alleged misconduct over $800,000 printing contracts
2002-11-7
Two officers of the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) were today (Thursday) charged by the ICAC for allegedly abusing their authority in awarding TELA's printing and production contracts worth about $800,000 in total.
Chow Fiat-mann, French, 41, Senior Executive Officer, faces two counts of misconduct in public office under the Common Law; while Fok Ying-wai, Betty, 38, Executive Officer I, was charged with four similar alleged offences. They will appear at Eastern Ma gistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) in separate cases.
Also appearing with Chow in the same case was his wife, Lim Giok-yan, Iris Louisa, 40, charged with 10 counts of forgery.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some TELA staff might have accepted advantages from suppliers in return for awarding printing contracts. ICAC investigations revealed the alleged misconduct and forgery offences.
In the first case, Chow, being a public officer, was alleged to have wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself on two occasions between October 1997 and December 1998.
He was said to have concealed from his subordinate, who was involved in processing contracts awarded by TELA, that Merry Link Promotions Ltd. (Merry Link), which was bidding for such contracts, was owned and controlled by his wife.
It was alleged that Chow had recommended to the subordinate that Merry Link be considered for such contracts and approved his not inviting competing tenders required by the Government Stores and Procurement Regulations (the Regulations).
He was also said to have instructed the subordinate to award contracts to Merry Link, and to arrange for Merry Link to provide other competing quotations.
Lim faced 10 counts of forgery which alleged her of making false quotations of a number of companies between December 1997 and June 1999.
In the second case, Fok was charged with four counts of wilfully misconducted herself by circumventing the Government tendering process in respect of contracts awarded by TELA.
Fok was said to have pre-determined, without obtaining quotations from competing tenderers, to whom a contract should be awarded, failing to comply with the Regulations.
She was also alleged to have instructed her subordinates to falsify Telephone Quotation Record forms and caused the contracts to be awarded to the pre-determined suppliers.
The alleged offences took place between June 2000 and August 2001.
The defendants are currently on ICAC bail, pending their court appearances tomorrow.
Chow Fiat-mann, French, 41, Senior Executive Officer, faces two counts of misconduct in public office under the Common Law; while Fok Ying-wai, Betty, 38, Executive Officer I, was charged with four similar alleged offences. They will appear at Eastern Ma gistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) in separate cases.
Also appearing with Chow in the same case was his wife, Lim Giok-yan, Iris Louisa, 40, charged with 10 counts of forgery.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some TELA staff might have accepted advantages from suppliers in return for awarding printing contracts. ICAC investigations revealed the alleged misconduct and forgery offences.
In the first case, Chow, being a public officer, was alleged to have wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself on two occasions between October 1997 and December 1998.
He was said to have concealed from his subordinate, who was involved in processing contracts awarded by TELA, that Merry Link Promotions Ltd. (Merry Link), which was bidding for such contracts, was owned and controlled by his wife.
It was alleged that Chow had recommended to the subordinate that Merry Link be considered for such contracts and approved his not inviting competing tenders required by the Government Stores and Procurement Regulations (the Regulations).
He was also said to have instructed the subordinate to award contracts to Merry Link, and to arrange for Merry Link to provide other competing quotations.
Lim faced 10 counts of forgery which alleged her of making false quotations of a number of companies between December 1997 and June 1999.
In the second case, Fok was charged with four counts of wilfully misconducted herself by circumventing the Government tendering process in respect of contracts awarded by TELA.
Fok was said to have pre-determined, without obtaining quotations from competing tenderers, to whom a contract should be awarded, failing to comply with the Regulations.
She was also alleged to have instructed her subordinates to falsify Telephone Quotation Record forms and caused the contracts to be awarded to the pre-determined suppliers.
The alleged offences took place between June 2000 and August 2001.
The defendants are currently on ICAC bail, pending their court appearances tomorrow.