Frozen meat supplier admits bribery for securing business from hotels and restaurants
2007-8-6
A frozen meat supplier today (Monday) admitted at the District Court that he had offered bribes totalling over $530,000 to purchasing officers or chefs of five hotels, three restaurants and a yacht club for obtaining purchase orders or silencing them from complaining the quality of foods provided by his company.
Lau Chor-lam, 57, operator of Shing Kam Ho (SKH), pleaded guilty to 12 counts of offering advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO), and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
Judge Longley adjourned sentencing to August 13, and ordered Lau to be remanded in the custody of Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that the offences took place between January 1999 and December 2005 when SKH was a frozen meat supplier of Langham Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Ramada Hotel Kowloon, Le Meridien Cyberport Hotel, Peninsula Hong Kong, Cityplaza Harbour Re staurant (Cityplaza), Grand Lord Seafood Restaurant (Grand Lord), Hing Fat Restaurant, and HEBE Haven Yacht Club.
Lau admitted that during the above period, he had offered regular bribe payments, ranging from a few hundred to ten thousand dollars odd on each occasion, to chefs or purchasing officers of the above establishments.
In return, the staff members of those establishments had placed orders with SKH, and did not complain about the quality of goods delivered by the supplier.
The court also heard that between May and November 2005, Lau had conspired with Lau Tung-kai, an accounting supervisor of Cityplaza, to defraud Cityplaza by submitting false invoices of SKH to the restaurant.
As a result, Cityplaza was caused to pay SKH in accordance with those invoices, which contained overstated quantities of food sold and delivered to Cityplaza.
The court further heard that between February and November 2005, Lau had conspired with Lau Tung-kai, also an accounting staff of Grand Lord, to defraud Grand Lord by submitting false invoices of SKH to the restaurant, and caused Grand Lord to pay for goo ds which had not been delivered.
A total of 14 persons, including Lau, have been charged by the ICAC with bribery and related offences in connection with the same investigation.
Apart from Lau, 10 other defendants had pleaded guilty while two were convicted of bribery and fraud charges after trial. One person was acquitted.
Five of the defendants convicted received jail terms ranging from three months to 18 months, while another was ordered to perform community services orders. The remaining defendants will be sentenced later this month or next month.
The prosecution was today represented by Prosecuting Counsel Adrian Bell, assisted by ICAC officer William Lam.
Lau Chor-lam, 57, operator of Shing Kam Ho (SKH), pleaded guilty to 12 counts of offering advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO), and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
Judge Longley adjourned sentencing to August 13, and ordered Lau to be remanded in the custody of Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that the offences took place between January 1999 and December 2005 when SKH was a frozen meat supplier of Langham Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Ramada Hotel Kowloon, Le Meridien Cyberport Hotel, Peninsula Hong Kong, Cityplaza Harbour Re staurant (Cityplaza), Grand Lord Seafood Restaurant (Grand Lord), Hing Fat Restaurant, and HEBE Haven Yacht Club.
Lau admitted that during the above period, he had offered regular bribe payments, ranging from a few hundred to ten thousand dollars odd on each occasion, to chefs or purchasing officers of the above establishments.
In return, the staff members of those establishments had placed orders with SKH, and did not complain about the quality of goods delivered by the supplier.
The court also heard that between May and November 2005, Lau had conspired with Lau Tung-kai, an accounting supervisor of Cityplaza, to defraud Cityplaza by submitting false invoices of SKH to the restaurant.
As a result, Cityplaza was caused to pay SKH in accordance with those invoices, which contained overstated quantities of food sold and delivered to Cityplaza.
The court further heard that between February and November 2005, Lau had conspired with Lau Tung-kai, also an accounting staff of Grand Lord, to defraud Grand Lord by submitting false invoices of SKH to the restaurant, and caused Grand Lord to pay for goo ds which had not been delivered.
A total of 14 persons, including Lau, have been charged by the ICAC with bribery and related offences in connection with the same investigation.
Apart from Lau, 10 other defendants had pleaded guilty while two were convicted of bribery and fraud charges after trial. One person was acquitted.
Five of the defendants convicted received jail terms ranging from three months to 18 months, while another was ordered to perform community services orders. The remaining defendants will be sentenced later this month or next month.
The prosecution was today represented by Prosecuting Counsel Adrian Bell, assisted by ICAC officer William Lam.