A former shipping manager of a Germany-based ironware company was yesterday (Wednesday) arrested by the ICAC for allegedly violating Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance by deceiving his employer of over $14 million with bogus invoices on f reight charges.

The former manager's wife was also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting her husband to use documents to deceive his principal.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that the former shipping manager had accepted advantages from local transportation companies for placing orders with them.

Inquiries revealed that while employed by the German company in Hong Kong, the arrested former manager was responsible for placing orders for local transport as well as freight shipments to clients in the United States.

It was alleged that between 1990 and November 2002, the former manager had submitted bulk of bogus invoices issued by a local transportation company, purporting to show that services had been provided to the ironware company on numerous occasions.

Investigations alleged that the former manager was the registered proprietor of this local transportation company, which had never been in operation.

It was suspected that by such fraudulent means, the former manager had obtained over $14 million from the ironware company over the past 12 years, before he left the company in November 2002.

The couple has been released on ICAC bail, pending further inquiries.