Nineteen arrested for alleged bribery over food supplies to Japanese restaurants and sushi stalls
2008-9-30
The ICAC has arrested 19 persons, including eight serving and former purchasing staff and chefs of four Japanese restaurants and two supermarket sushi stalls, for allegedly accepting illegal rebates from suppliers for placing orders of fish, shellfish, fr ozen meat, and other raw material for Japanese food.
The arrests were made in an ICAC operation codenamed “Flying Fish” , commencing yesterday, following an investigation arising from a corruption complaint.
Also arrested were two shareholders cum directors, an accounting staff, two delivery workers and two former delivery workers of a fish and seafood supplier.
The ICAC also arrested the proprietor and an employee of a frozen meat supplier, and a shareholder cum director of a company that supplies Japanese snacks.
ICAC investigations revealed that the arrested chefs and purchasing staff had allegedly received monthly illegal rebates from the suppliers as rewards for placing food orders and conniving with the suppliers to inflate the quantities and/or the amounts of food delivered on the invoices.
The accounting staff and the delivery workers of the fish and seafood supplier were also alleged to have assisted their employer in perpetrating the scam.
During the operation, the ICAC also arrested an individual for her alleged role in conspiring with a chef in inflating the number of part-time workers employed at one of the Japanese restaurants and deceiving wages from the employer.
Inquiries are continuing.
The arrests were made in an ICAC operation codenamed “Flying Fish” , commencing yesterday, following an investigation arising from a corruption complaint.
Also arrested were two shareholders cum directors, an accounting staff, two delivery workers and two former delivery workers of a fish and seafood supplier.
The ICAC also arrested the proprietor and an employee of a frozen meat supplier, and a shareholder cum director of a company that supplies Japanese snacks.
ICAC investigations revealed that the arrested chefs and purchasing staff had allegedly received monthly illegal rebates from the suppliers as rewards for placing food orders and conniving with the suppliers to inflate the quantities and/or the amounts of food delivered on the invoices.
The accounting staff and the delivery workers of the fish and seafood supplier were also alleged to have assisted their employer in perpetrating the scam.
During the operation, the ICAC also arrested an individual for her alleged role in conspiring with a chef in inflating the number of part-time workers employed at one of the Japanese restaurants and deceiving wages from the employer.
Inquiries are continuing.