Ex-chefs jailed for $200,000 bribes-for-employment
2017-6-28
Two then chefs of a hotel, charged by the ICAC, were today (June 28) sentenced to jail terms up to eight months at the District Court for soliciting, accepting and offering bribes up to over $200,000 in relation to the employment of one of the two then chefs and another then chef with the hotel.
Tsang Hung-tak, 59, then Chinese head chef of The Park Lane Hong Kong (The Park Lane), received a jail term of eight months, while Chan Kei-cheong, 58, then assistant Chinese head chef of The Park Lane, was jailed for four months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Ms June Cheung Tin-ngan said immediate custodial sentence had to be meted out to serve as a deterrent as corruption was not to be tolerated then or now.
The deputy judge also ordered Tsang to pay $172,000 as compensation to the hotel.
Tsang earlier pleaded guilty to six charges – two of agent soliciting an advantage and four of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Chan admitted four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
The court heard that at the material time, Tsang was employed by Victoria Park Hotels Limited to work as the Chinese head chef of The Park Lane, a hotel in Causeway Bay. Through Tsang’s referral, Chan was hired as the assistant Chinese head chef of the hotel.
When Chan attended a job interview on a day held between January and June 2006, Tsang told him that if he wanted to work as the assistant Chinese head chief of the hotel, he had to pay Tsang “tea money” of $3,000 monthly after receiving his salary of around $24,000 each month.
In order to secure the employment, Chan acceded to Tsang’s request. Upon Tsang’s referral, Chan started to work at the hotel under Tsang’s supervision in July 2006.
Between July 2006 and July 2008, Chan paid Tsang $3,000 each month or $72,000 in total to maintain his employment with the hotel.
The court heard that on a day in mid 2008, Tsang was in financial difficulties and requested Chan to apply for a personal loan of $50,000 from a bank for him. Chan acceded to the request, and applied for the personal loan from the bank.
Tsang and Chan agreed that Chan would repay the loan to the bank by monthly instalments in lieu of paying $3,000 to Tsang per month until the loan was fully repaid in two years so as to maintain his employment with the hotel.
After deducting a charge of ,500, the bank paid the loan proceeds of $48,500 to Chan. Subsequently, Chan transferred the loan proceeds to Tsang.
The court heard that around Chinese New Year in 2012, Tsang and Chan agreed that Chan would pay $30,000 to Tsang after Chan received his year-end bonus so as to maintain his employment with the hotel. By doing so, Chan was not required to make the monthly payment of $3,000 to Tsang in that year.
After receiving his year-end bonus in January 2015, Chan paid $30,000 to Tsang so as to maintain his employment with the hotel. After Chan was dismissed by the hotel in March 2015, he did not pay any money to Tsang.
Tsang admitted that between July 2006 and January 2015, he accepted $152,000 from Chan as rewards for maintaining the latter’s employment with the hotel.
The court heard that when another then chef attended a job interview on a day between April and September 2012, Tsang told him if he wanted to work as the chef de partie of the hotel at a monthly salary of about $20,000, he had to pay ,000 monthly to Tsang.
Between September 2012 and April 2014, Tsang accepted ,000 each month or $20,000 in total from that chef, the court was told.
Victoria Park Hotels Limited had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Juliana Chow, assisted by ICAC officer Jenny Chan.
Tsang Hung-tak, 59, then Chinese head chef of The Park Lane Hong Kong (The Park Lane), received a jail term of eight months, while Chan Kei-cheong, 58, then assistant Chinese head chef of The Park Lane, was jailed for four months.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Ms June Cheung Tin-ngan said immediate custodial sentence had to be meted out to serve as a deterrent as corruption was not to be tolerated then or now.
The deputy judge also ordered Tsang to pay $172,000 as compensation to the hotel.
Tsang earlier pleaded guilty to six charges – two of agent soliciting an advantage and four of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Chan admitted four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
The court heard that at the material time, Tsang was employed by Victoria Park Hotels Limited to work as the Chinese head chef of The Park Lane, a hotel in Causeway Bay. Through Tsang’s referral, Chan was hired as the assistant Chinese head chef of the hotel.
When Chan attended a job interview on a day held between January and June 2006, Tsang told him that if he wanted to work as the assistant Chinese head chief of the hotel, he had to pay Tsang “tea money” of $3,000 monthly after receiving his salary of around $24,000 each month.
In order to secure the employment, Chan acceded to Tsang’s request. Upon Tsang’s referral, Chan started to work at the hotel under Tsang’s supervision in July 2006.
Between July 2006 and July 2008, Chan paid Tsang $3,000 each month or $72,000 in total to maintain his employment with the hotel.
The court heard that on a day in mid 2008, Tsang was in financial difficulties and requested Chan to apply for a personal loan of $50,000 from a bank for him. Chan acceded to the request, and applied for the personal loan from the bank.
Tsang and Chan agreed that Chan would repay the loan to the bank by monthly instalments in lieu of paying $3,000 to Tsang per month until the loan was fully repaid in two years so as to maintain his employment with the hotel.
After deducting a charge of ,500, the bank paid the loan proceeds of $48,500 to Chan. Subsequently, Chan transferred the loan proceeds to Tsang.
The court heard that around Chinese New Year in 2012, Tsang and Chan agreed that Chan would pay $30,000 to Tsang after Chan received his year-end bonus so as to maintain his employment with the hotel. By doing so, Chan was not required to make the monthly payment of $3,000 to Tsang in that year.
After receiving his year-end bonus in January 2015, Chan paid $30,000 to Tsang so as to maintain his employment with the hotel. After Chan was dismissed by the hotel in March 2015, he did not pay any money to Tsang.
Tsang admitted that between July 2006 and January 2015, he accepted $152,000 from Chan as rewards for maintaining the latter’s employment with the hotel.
The court heard that when another then chef attended a job interview on a day between April and September 2012, Tsang told him if he wanted to work as the chef de partie of the hotel at a monthly salary of about $20,000, he had to pay ,000 monthly to Tsang.
Between September 2012 and April 2014, Tsang accepted ,000 each month or $20,000 in total from that chef, the court was told.
Victoria Park Hotels Limited had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Juliana Chow, assisted by ICAC officer Jenny Chan.