Travel agency director jailed for accepting illegal kickbacks
2007-11-8
A director of a travel agency, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for accepting illegal commissions totalling over $290,000 for arranging inbound tours to visit the showrooms of a listed jewellery chain’s subsidiary.
Kevin Clarence Peterson, 59, director of Concorde Air-Sea Services Limited (Concorde), earlier pleaded guilty to one count of agent accepting an advantage.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai said a custodial sentence was inevitable in view of the seriousness of the bribery offence.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, the defendant was responsible for overseeing the business of inbound tours of Concorde.
In early 90s, a business promotion general manager of Tse Sui Luen Jewellery Company Limited (TSLJ), a subsidiary of publicly listed Tse Sui Luen Jewellery (International) Limited, approached the defendant for arranging inbound tours of Concorde to visit the showrooms of TSLJ.
Between May 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005, without the knowledge of his employer, the defendant accepted from TSLJ illegal commissions totalling $297,138.
In return, the defendant had arranged inbound tours of Concorde to patronise the showrooms of TSLJ, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Cho.
Kevin Clarence Peterson, 59, director of Concorde Air-Sea Services Limited (Concorde), earlier pleaded guilty to one count of agent accepting an advantage.
In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai said a custodial sentence was inevitable in view of the seriousness of the bribery offence.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, the defendant was responsible for overseeing the business of inbound tours of Concorde.
In early 90s, a business promotion general manager of Tse Sui Luen Jewellery Company Limited (TSLJ), a subsidiary of publicly listed Tse Sui Luen Jewellery (International) Limited, approached the defendant for arranging inbound tours of Concorde to visit the showrooms of TSLJ.
Between May 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005, without the knowledge of his employer, the defendant accepted from TSLJ illegal commissions totalling $297,138.
In return, the defendant had arranged inbound tours of Concorde to patronise the showrooms of TSLJ, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Cho.