Two months’ jail for accepting bribes over defective carpets
2013-1-2
A former employee of a motor service company, charged by the ICAC, was today (Wednesday) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Kwun Tong Magistracy for accepting bribes up to over $63,000 from a supplier for not reporting any defective carpets supplied by him.
Wong Shun-man, 43, a senior clerk formerly employed by Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited (DCH Motor), was also ordered by Magistrate Mr Anthony Yuen Wai-ming to pay DCH Motor $30,000 as restitution out of the $63,000.
Citing a sentencing guideline, the magistrate said an immediate custodial sentence was inevitable in view of no exceptional circumstances involved in the case.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that at the material times, the defendant was a senior clerk of the new vehicle centre of DCH Motor. He was responsible for procuring materials, including vehicle carpets, from suppliers.
Amongst the suppliers was Immense Trading and Development Limited (ITD).
When the first batch of carpets was supplied to DCH Motor by ITD in June 2009, some of them were found to be defective, the court heard.
A director of ITD then approached the defendant for offering advantages to him for assistance in not reporting any defects to DCH Motor.
As a result, the defendant accepted from the director of ITD payments ranging from $500 to $3,000 on various occasions between January 2010 and October 2011. The total bribe payments were up to over $63,000.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had accepted advantages from the director of ITD so as to ensure that ITD, being a supplier of DCH Motor, would not be replaced due to the quality problem of its products, the court was told.
DCH Motor had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Susanna Ku, assisted by ICAC officer Karen Law.
Wong Shun-man, 43, a senior clerk formerly employed by Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited (DCH Motor), was also ordered by Magistrate Mr Anthony Yuen Wai-ming to pay DCH Motor $30,000 as restitution out of the $63,000.
Citing a sentencing guideline, the magistrate said an immediate custodial sentence was inevitable in view of no exceptional circumstances involved in the case.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that at the material times, the defendant was a senior clerk of the new vehicle centre of DCH Motor. He was responsible for procuring materials, including vehicle carpets, from suppliers.
Amongst the suppliers was Immense Trading and Development Limited (ITD).
When the first batch of carpets was supplied to DCH Motor by ITD in June 2009, some of them were found to be defective, the court heard.
A director of ITD then approached the defendant for offering advantages to him for assistance in not reporting any defects to DCH Motor.
As a result, the defendant accepted from the director of ITD payments ranging from $500 to $3,000 on various occasions between January 2010 and October 2011. The total bribe payments were up to over $63,000.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had accepted advantages from the director of ITD so as to ensure that ITD, being a supplier of DCH Motor, would not be replaced due to the quality problem of its products, the court was told.
DCH Motor had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Susanna Ku, assisted by ICAC officer Karen Law.