Five charged with bribery and fraud over bogus insurance policies
2012-1-11
The ICAC has charged five former and serving insurance agents with bribery and fraud in using bogus insurance policies to defraud two insurance companies of commissions and monthly allowances.
In the first three cases, the defendants, who were charged yesterday (January 10), are Monita Cheng Woon-ho, 55, Lau Kwok-kei, 51, and Cheng Chong, 23, all former insurance agents of Dah Sing Insurance Services Limited (Dah Sing).
They face a total of 32 charges –'96 17 of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); and 15 of agent conspiring to use document with intent to deceive his/her principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendants will appear in Eastern Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (January 12) for plea.
At the material times, the defendants were down-line insurance agents of a senior unit manager of Dah Sing.
Seventeen of the charges allege that Cheng Woon-ho, Lau and Cheng Chong offered over $139,000, $127,000 and $57,000 respectively to the senior unit manager of Dah Sing as rewards for arranging them to submit insurance policy applications which were not se cured by them.
The remaining charges allege the defendants of having conspired with the senior unit manager of Dah Sing to submit 15 bogus insurance policies with intent to deceive commissions and monthly allowances from Dah Sing.
The above alleged offences were said to have taken place between September 2008 and October 2009.
In the remaining two cases, the defendants, who were also charged yesterday, are David Chic, 39, former unit manager of Manulife (International) Limited (Manulife), and Poon Hoi-ying, 29, unit manager of Manulife.
Chic faces one count of fraud, while Poon is charged with one count of fraud and one of conspiracy to defraud.
At the time of the alleged offences which took place between December 2009 and January 2010, Chic and Poon were down-line insurance agents of a district manager of Manulife.
Chic is alleged to have falsely represented that he was the insurance advisor in an investment-linked insurance plan application, and with intent to defraud, induced Manulife to pay him commission of over $230,000. It was alleged that the purported appli cant had never made such application.
Poon is accused of having falsely represented to Manulife in his wife’s application form for an investment-linked insurance policy by inflating her monthly salary. It was alleged that with intent to defraud, Poon induced Manulife to pay him commission of over $69,000.
Poon is also alleged to have conspired together with his district manager to defraud Manulife by falsely representing that Poon was one of the insurance advisors in handling an investment-linked insurance policy application, thereby inducing Manulife to r eward Poon with commission of over $20,000.
The two defendants will appear in Kwun Tong Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (January 12) for plea.
The five cases arose from corruption complaints. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
Dah Sing and Manulife had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigations.
The five defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.
In the first three cases, the defendants, who were charged yesterday (January 10), are Monita Cheng Woon-ho, 55, Lau Kwok-kei, 51, and Cheng Chong, 23, all former insurance agents of Dah Sing Insurance Services Limited (Dah Sing).
They face a total of 32 charges –'96 17 of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); and 15 of agent conspiring to use document with intent to deceive his/her principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendants will appear in Eastern Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (January 12) for plea.
At the material times, the defendants were down-line insurance agents of a senior unit manager of Dah Sing.
Seventeen of the charges allege that Cheng Woon-ho, Lau and Cheng Chong offered over $139,000, $127,000 and $57,000 respectively to the senior unit manager of Dah Sing as rewards for arranging them to submit insurance policy applications which were not se cured by them.
The remaining charges allege the defendants of having conspired with the senior unit manager of Dah Sing to submit 15 bogus insurance policies with intent to deceive commissions and monthly allowances from Dah Sing.
The above alleged offences were said to have taken place between September 2008 and October 2009.
In the remaining two cases, the defendants, who were also charged yesterday, are David Chic, 39, former unit manager of Manulife (International) Limited (Manulife), and Poon Hoi-ying, 29, unit manager of Manulife.
Chic faces one count of fraud, while Poon is charged with one count of fraud and one of conspiracy to defraud.
At the time of the alleged offences which took place between December 2009 and January 2010, Chic and Poon were down-line insurance agents of a district manager of Manulife.
Chic is alleged to have falsely represented that he was the insurance advisor in an investment-linked insurance plan application, and with intent to defraud, induced Manulife to pay him commission of over $230,000. It was alleged that the purported appli cant had never made such application.
Poon is accused of having falsely represented to Manulife in his wife’s application form for an investment-linked insurance policy by inflating her monthly salary. It was alleged that with intent to defraud, Poon induced Manulife to pay him commission of over $69,000.
Poon is also alleged to have conspired together with his district manager to defraud Manulife by falsely representing that Poon was one of the insurance advisors in handling an investment-linked insurance policy application, thereby inducing Manulife to r eward Poon with commission of over $20,000.
The two defendants will appear in Kwun Tong Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (January 12) for plea.
The five cases arose from corruption complaints. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
Dah Sing and Manulife had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigations.
The five defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.