C&E officer and four others arrested for alleged bribery over textile origin fraud
2004-9-9
An Assistant Trade Controls Officer (ATCO) of the Customs and Excise Department (C&E) was yesterday (Wednesday) caught red-handed by the ICAC for allegedly accepting a bribe from an operator of a garment factory for providing tip-offs on C&E enforcement a ctions.
It was alleged that the tip-offs had been provided to facilitate the transport of textile products and garment panels without proper manifests or documents across the border.
Also arrested in the ICAC operation were the factory operator, the proprietor of a transportation company, a partner of a garment exporting company and a lorry driver.
ICAC inquiries revealed that the factory operator, the proprietor of the transportation company and the lorry driver, with the suspected corrupt assistance of the ATCO, were allegedly engaged in the illegal transport of textiles and clothing manufactured in the Mainland through Hong Kong to overseas markets as products of Hong Kong origin.
It was alleged that the arrested ATCO had accepted monthly bribe payments from the garment factory operator.
In return, the ATCO allegedly provided tip-offs about C&E's enforcement actions at border checkpoints, so that the operator and the transportation company he engaged could successfully avoid detection at the border.
The ATCO was further alleged to have accepted another bribe payment from a partner of a garment exporting company for accessing C&E's confidential computer data in relation to another company without authorization.
At a meeting monitored by ICAC officers yesterday afternoon, the ATCO was arrested upon collecting $5,000 from the garment factory operator.
The C&E has rendered full assistance to the ICAC investigation.
It was alleged that the tip-offs had been provided to facilitate the transport of textile products and garment panels without proper manifests or documents across the border.
Also arrested in the ICAC operation were the factory operator, the proprietor of a transportation company, a partner of a garment exporting company and a lorry driver.
ICAC inquiries revealed that the factory operator, the proprietor of the transportation company and the lorry driver, with the suspected corrupt assistance of the ATCO, were allegedly engaged in the illegal transport of textiles and clothing manufactured in the Mainland through Hong Kong to overseas markets as products of Hong Kong origin.
It was alleged that the arrested ATCO had accepted monthly bribe payments from the garment factory operator.
In return, the ATCO allegedly provided tip-offs about C&E's enforcement actions at border checkpoints, so that the operator and the transportation company he engaged could successfully avoid detection at the border.
The ATCO was further alleged to have accepted another bribe payment from a partner of a garment exporting company for accessing C&E's confidential computer data in relation to another company without authorization.
At a meeting monitored by ICAC officers yesterday afternoon, the ATCO was arrested upon collecting $5,000 from the garment factory operator.
The C&E has rendered full assistance to the ICAC investigation.