Duo jailed for bribery and fraud over TV game show
2013-11-25
A brother and his sister, charged by the ICAC, were today (Monday) sentenced to four months and 10 months in jail respectively at the Eastern Magistracy for their respective roles in offering a bribe of over $46,000 to get the correct answers of a game show of now TV and defrauding the PCCW Media Limited (PCCW Media), which operated now TV, of about $350,000 in cash prizes.
Fung Kin-fung, 30, and his younger sister Fung Kwan-wai, 28, both clerks, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Fung Kin-fung further admitted one count of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing said the defendants had used the fraudulent means to deceive cash prizes after knowing that the game show offered such prizes.
Immediate custodial sentences were imposed on the defendants in view of the seriousness of the case, which was no less than that of other fraud cases, the magistrate added.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants were subscribers of now TV, which produced a live game show called “Action-to-Money” .
At each show, eight questions were asked and a cash prize of $100,000 was shared among the participants who managed to answer all questions correctly through the broadband network.
The court heard that in mid June 2011, Fung Kin-fung invited a former schoolmate to participate in the game show and guaranteed that he won the cash prizes with the assistance of a “Master”. But the former classmate had to give 60 per cent and five per cent of the cash prizes to the “Master” and Fung Kin-fung respectively.
The court heard that in fact, the “Master”, who was the boyfriend of Fung Kwan-wai, was an assistant broadcast engineer of HKT Services Limited, a subsidiary of the listed PCCW Limited at the material time, which was responsible for technical matters relating to the game show.
With the assistance of the assistant broadcast engineer, the schoolmate won a total of $71,406 between June and July 2011 and passed $46,414 out of it to Fung Kin-fung for their offering to the “Master” as a bribe.
The court heard that between June and December 2011, the defendants conspired together with the assistant broadcast engineer to defraud PCCW Media.
The duo obtained the correct answers of the game show; participated and arranged their younger sister and the schoolmate to falsely pretend a fair participation at the game show; and won the prize money of the game show with the correct answers dishonestly obtained.
As a result, PCCW Media was caused to release cash prizes totalling about $350,000 to the defendants and the two participants concerned, the court was told.
PCCW Limited and its subsidiaries had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Henry Ma, assisted by ICAC officer Oyan Cheung.
Fung Kin-fung, 30, and his younger sister Fung Kwan-wai, 28, both clerks, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Fung Kin-fung further admitted one count of conspiracy to offer an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing said the defendants had used the fraudulent means to deceive cash prizes after knowing that the game show offered such prizes.
Immediate custodial sentences were imposed on the defendants in view of the seriousness of the case, which was no less than that of other fraud cases, the magistrate added.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants were subscribers of now TV, which produced a live game show called “Action-to-Money” .
At each show, eight questions were asked and a cash prize of $100,000 was shared among the participants who managed to answer all questions correctly through the broadband network.
The court heard that in mid June 2011, Fung Kin-fung invited a former schoolmate to participate in the game show and guaranteed that he won the cash prizes with the assistance of a “Master”. But the former classmate had to give 60 per cent and five per cent of the cash prizes to the “Master” and Fung Kin-fung respectively.
The court heard that in fact, the “Master”, who was the boyfriend of Fung Kwan-wai, was an assistant broadcast engineer of HKT Services Limited, a subsidiary of the listed PCCW Limited at the material time, which was responsible for technical matters relating to the game show.
With the assistance of the assistant broadcast engineer, the schoolmate won a total of $71,406 between June and July 2011 and passed $46,414 out of it to Fung Kin-fung for their offering to the “Master” as a bribe.
The court heard that between June and December 2011, the defendants conspired together with the assistant broadcast engineer to defraud PCCW Media.
The duo obtained the correct answers of the game show; participated and arranged their younger sister and the schoolmate to falsely pretend a fair participation at the game show; and won the prize money of the game show with the correct answers dishonestly obtained.
As a result, PCCW Media was caused to release cash prizes totalling about $350,000 to the defendants and the two participants concerned, the court was told.
PCCW Limited and its subsidiaries had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Henry Ma, assisted by ICAC officer Oyan Cheung.