Woman jailed for bribing bank staff with watch for opening account
2019-12-16
A woman, charged by the ICAC, was today (December 16) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at the Kowloon City Magistracy for offering a watch to an employee of a bank for assistance in opening an account for her husband’s company.
Ma Zhenlian, 61, authorised signer of Hongkong Huilin Int’l Finance Group Limited (HIFGL) earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Ada Yim Shun-yee rejected the argument that the defendant had no legal knowledge at all. In fact, the defendant might intend to open a bank account in Hong Kong for illegal purposes, the magistrate said.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the authorised signer of HIFGL, which was incorporated in Hong Kong in October 2005 and acquired by her husband in May 2019.
On August 23, 2019, the couple arrived at a Business Centre of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) in Mongkok to open a bank account for HIFGL.
The couple was received by an assistant manager of HSBC. When the assistant manager went out of his room to arrange some refreshments, the defendant placed a bag containing a gift set of watch underneath his desk.
After the couple left the bank, the assistant manager noticed the bag containing the watch and immediately reported the matter to his supervisor, the court heard.
Later on the same day, the assistant manager phoned the defendant to ascertain if the watch belonged to the couple. The defendant said it was a small gift to him to show their appreciation and insisted that she would not take it back despite the assistant manager’s refusal to accept it.
Afterwards, the defendant called the assistant manager several times to ask if the bank account opening application was approved. In September 2019, the assistant manager informed the couple through email that the application was rejected.
The court heard that the defendant offered the watch to the assistant manager with a view to influencing him in assisting them to process the application.
HSBC had referred the case to the ICAC and rendered full assistance to the Commission during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Seth Yiu.
Ma Zhenlian, 61, authorised signer of Hongkong Huilin Int’l Finance Group Limited (HIFGL) earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Ada Yim Shun-yee rejected the argument that the defendant had no legal knowledge at all. In fact, the defendant might intend to open a bank account in Hong Kong for illegal purposes, the magistrate said.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the authorised signer of HIFGL, which was incorporated in Hong Kong in October 2005 and acquired by her husband in May 2019.
On August 23, 2019, the couple arrived at a Business Centre of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) in Mongkok to open a bank account for HIFGL.
The couple was received by an assistant manager of HSBC. When the assistant manager went out of his room to arrange some refreshments, the defendant placed a bag containing a gift set of watch underneath his desk.
After the couple left the bank, the assistant manager noticed the bag containing the watch and immediately reported the matter to his supervisor, the court heard.
Later on the same day, the assistant manager phoned the defendant to ascertain if the watch belonged to the couple. The defendant said it was a small gift to him to show their appreciation and insisted that she would not take it back despite the assistant manager’s refusal to accept it.
Afterwards, the defendant called the assistant manager several times to ask if the bank account opening application was approved. In September 2019, the assistant manager informed the couple through email that the application was rejected.
The court heard that the defendant offered the watch to the assistant manager with a view to influencing him in assisting them to process the application.
HSBC had referred the case to the ICAC and rendered full assistance to the Commission during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Seth Yiu.