Ex-chairman and chairman of TSL face revised charges for alleged conspiracy to offer advantages and tax fraud
2006-2-24
Four persons, including the former chairman and chairman of publicly listed Tse Sui Luen Jewellery (International) Limited (TSL), earlier charged by the ICAC for alleged conspiracies to offer advantages and tax fraud, faced revised charges when they appea red in Eastern Magistracy this (Friday) morning.
Tse Sui-luen, 70, former chairman of TSL; Tommy Tse Tat-fung, 38, chairman of TSL; Chung Yuen-ling, 44, former deputy chairman and finance director of TSL; and Peter Gerardus VAN WEERDENBURG, 47, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of TSL, faced a total of 21 revised charges.
No pleas were taken. Magistrate Mr Ian Candy adjourned the case until April 24, 2006 for mention, and granted the defendants cash bail ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
Two of the charges alleged that Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung, Chung and VAN WEERDENBURG had conspired together with other persons to offer commissions to travel agents who would arrange tour groups to patronise the showrooms of TSL, as rewards for such agen ts showing or having shown favour to TSL in relation to their principals' affairs or business.
Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung, Chung and VAN WEERDENBURG also faced two other charges of allegedly conspiring together with other persons to defraud the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) in relation to commission payments made to certain overseas companies by TSL and entertainment expenses incurred by TSL.
The four defendants faced a total of six similar offences alternative to the above corruption and fraud charges.
Tse Sui-luen alone faced one count of allegedly conspiring with other persons to defraud the IRD in relation to payments made to certain staff members of TSL as promotion commission.
Tse Tat-fung and VAN WEERDENBURG were charged with three similar offences of conspiracy to offer advantages to agents, and four of conspiracy to defraud.
Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung and Chung faced a joint charge of allegedly conspiring together with other persons to steal $500,000 belonging to TSL.
Tse Tat-fung alone faced a similar offence of alleged conspiracy to steal about $882,000 belonging to TSL, while Tse Tat-fung and Chung faced another similar offence of alleged conspiracy to steal about $1,821,000 belonging to TSL.
The above alleged offences took place between August 1996 and April last year.
Also charged in relation to the investigation, co-defendant Vivat PIRAPOKIN, 57, director of Overseas Express Tours Limited, today had his case severed from the other defendants.
PIRAPOKIN faced one count of allegedly having conspired together with Tse Sui-luen and another person to, with intent to defraud, cheat the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government of profits tax between March 1999 and May 2003.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Cho.
Tse Sui-luen, 70, former chairman of TSL; Tommy Tse Tat-fung, 38, chairman of TSL; Chung Yuen-ling, 44, former deputy chairman and finance director of TSL; and Peter Gerardus VAN WEERDENBURG, 47, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of TSL, faced a total of 21 revised charges.
No pleas were taken. Magistrate Mr Ian Candy adjourned the case until April 24, 2006 for mention, and granted the defendants cash bail ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
Two of the charges alleged that Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung, Chung and VAN WEERDENBURG had conspired together with other persons to offer commissions to travel agents who would arrange tour groups to patronise the showrooms of TSL, as rewards for such agen ts showing or having shown favour to TSL in relation to their principals' affairs or business.
Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung, Chung and VAN WEERDENBURG also faced two other charges of allegedly conspiring together with other persons to defraud the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) in relation to commission payments made to certain overseas companies by TSL and entertainment expenses incurred by TSL.
The four defendants faced a total of six similar offences alternative to the above corruption and fraud charges.
Tse Sui-luen alone faced one count of allegedly conspiring with other persons to defraud the IRD in relation to payments made to certain staff members of TSL as promotion commission.
Tse Tat-fung and VAN WEERDENBURG were charged with three similar offences of conspiracy to offer advantages to agents, and four of conspiracy to defraud.
Tse Sui-luen, Tse Tat-fung and Chung faced a joint charge of allegedly conspiring together with other persons to steal $500,000 belonging to TSL.
Tse Tat-fung alone faced a similar offence of alleged conspiracy to steal about $882,000 belonging to TSL, while Tse Tat-fung and Chung faced another similar offence of alleged conspiracy to steal about $1,821,000 belonging to TSL.
The above alleged offences took place between August 1996 and April last year.
Also charged in relation to the investigation, co-defendant Vivat PIRAPOKIN, 57, director of Overseas Express Tours Limited, today had his case severed from the other defendants.
PIRAPOKIN faced one count of allegedly having conspired together with Tse Sui-luen and another person to, with intent to defraud, cheat the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government of profits tax between March 1999 and May 2003.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Cho.