A forwarding company director and a manageress of a freight company were charged by the ICAC yesterday for allegedly bribing a former airline employee for reserving cargo space on aircraft.

Hung Ka-wai, 47, director of Keen Shing Shipping Limited (Keen Shing), was charged with two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO).

Wei Show-ying, 44, manageress of Columbus Express (H.K.) Limited (Columbus Express), faced two counts of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent.

Wei was further charged with two counts of conspiracy to use document with intent to deceive agent's principal under Section 9(3) of PBO.

The defendants will appear before Kowloon City Magistracy tomorrow (Friday) at 9:30 am in separate cases.

The two PBO charges alleged Hung of offering sums of money, respectively around $2,000 to $3,000, and $8,000, to Cheng Chong-shing, a senior freight officer of Qantas Freight Hong Kong affiliated with Qantas Airways Limited in September and October 1997.

The bribes were allegedly for Cheng to reserve cargo space for Hung trading as Keen Shing.

Wei was alleged to have conspired with Cheng to offer the latter monthly sums of $8,000 between May 1999 and August 2000, and $10,000 between August 2000 and June 2002 for Cheng to reserve more cargo space for Columbus Express.

Wei was further alleged of conspiring with Cheng to use two invoices issued by Qantas Airways Limited, which contained false statements relating to the rate on cargo delivered, with intent to deceive the airline company.

The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearances tomorrow.