The ICAC has arrested 27 persons in the past three days for alleged bribery in relation to the supply of food and flowers to two chain supermarkets.

The arrestees, netted in an operation code-named " Full Moon ", included one senior executive and eight executives of the two chain supermarkets, a shareholder of a consultant firm, a shareholder of an investment company, as well as 16 food and flower suppliers.

The investigation arose from corruption complaints, alleging that staff members of two chain supermarkets might have accepted advantages from food and flower suppliers.

It was alleged that the arrested shareholders and suppliers had offered bribes to the executives of the two chain supermarkets.

In return, the executives of the supermarkets had allegedly showed favour to them in respect of their supply of fresh food, roasted meat and flowers.

Inquiries also alleged that one of the arrested executives had corruptly assisted some of the food suppliers in securing contracts to operate fresh and cooked food counters at one of the two chain supermarkets.

The ICAC received full co-operation from the management of the two chain supermarkets in the course of the operation.

ICAC enquiries are continuing.