Four in court for alleged bribery and deception over Jockey Club membership
2011-5-16
Four persons, including one Voting Member and three Members of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), today (Monday) appeared at Eastern Magistracy after being charged by the ICAC for bribery and conspiracy to defraud in relation to an application for HKJC mem bership.
The defendants are Robert Ng Ka-ki, alias Robert Woo, 56; Tong Kam-pui, 62; and Ho Wai-shek, 53; all merchants and HKJC Members; and John Douglas Mackie, 82, a business director and HKJC Voting Member.
Ng alone faces one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, while all four defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
The bribery charge alleges that in July 2010, Ng accepted a sum of $250,000 as an inducement to or reward for providing a HKJC racing membership application form to a person, and for arranging other HKJC Members and himself respectively to be the Proposin g and Seconding Voting Members and Supporting Members for the said application.
The conspiracy charge alleges that between June and November 2010, the four defendants conspired together and with another person to defraud HKJC by falsely stating that the information in the said applicant’s racing membership application form was true.
The alleged false information included their acquaintance, respective length of acquaintance and nature of relationship with the said applicant, and that they had received no advantage for sponsoring the application.
No pleas were taken today. Acting Principal Magistrate Amanda Jane Woodcock adjourned the case till July 14 for mention, pending further enquiries.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $50,000. They were ordered to reside in reported addresses and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Ng and Mackie were also ordered not to leave Hong Kong and to surrender all travel documents. In addition, Ng, Tong and Ho were ordered to report to the Police once a week.
The HKJC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC in its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Vinci Lam, assisted by ICAC Senior Investigator Winnie Lee.
The defendants are Robert Ng Ka-ki, alias Robert Woo, 56; Tong Kam-pui, 62; and Ho Wai-shek, 53; all merchants and HKJC Members; and John Douglas Mackie, 82, a business director and HKJC Voting Member.
Ng alone faces one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, while all four defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
The bribery charge alleges that in July 2010, Ng accepted a sum of $250,000 as an inducement to or reward for providing a HKJC racing membership application form to a person, and for arranging other HKJC Members and himself respectively to be the Proposin g and Seconding Voting Members and Supporting Members for the said application.
The conspiracy charge alleges that between June and November 2010, the four defendants conspired together and with another person to defraud HKJC by falsely stating that the information in the said applicant’s racing membership application form was true.
The alleged false information included their acquaintance, respective length of acquaintance and nature of relationship with the said applicant, and that they had received no advantage for sponsoring the application.
No pleas were taken today. Acting Principal Magistrate Amanda Jane Woodcock adjourned the case till July 14 for mention, pending further enquiries.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $50,000. They were ordered to reside in reported addresses and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Ng and Mackie were also ordered not to leave Hong Kong and to surrender all travel documents. In addition, Ng, Tong and Ho were ordered to report to the Police once a week.
The HKJC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC in its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Vinci Lam, assisted by ICAC Senior Investigator Winnie Lee.