Four charged with bribery over smartphone repair services
2020-5-29
A former technician of a smartphone repair service provider and three parallel goods traders were charged by the ICAC yesterday (May 28) in separate cases with bribery over smartphone repair services and access to an internal web-based system containing confidential product information.
The defendants are Hon Chi-ho, 29, former technician of Wah Fung Computer Services Limited (Wah Fung); and Lam Wai, 40, Pang Tze-yung, 29, Pang Shui-luen, 27, all then parallel goods traders.
Hon faces two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). Lam faces two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO. Pang Tze-yung and Pang Shui-luen respectively face six and three similar offences.
The defendants will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (June 1) for plea in separate cases.
The above alleged offences took place between May 1, 2016 and April 30, 2017.
At the material time, Wah Fung was an authorised service provider of Apple Asia Limited (Apple Asia) providing repair services for the latter’s products, including smartphones, in Hong Kong. Wah Fung was authorised to use Apple Asia’s internal web-based system, which contained confidential product information including warranty condition and repair history.
Repair service users were required to reserve timeslots with Wah Fung through its website. Due to high demand for repair services, timeslots were reserved on a first come, first served basis.
In the first case, one of the charges alleges that Hon had accepted about $4,000 from a person unknown as an inducement to or reward for Hon to disclose his username and password of the aforesaid internal web-based system of Apple Asia to that person.
Another charge alleges that Hon had accepted about $9,000 from another person unknown as an inducement to or reward for Hon to install an unauthorised software at computers of Wah Fung.
In the second case, one of the charges alleges that Lam had offered $800 per smartphone to a customer service officer and two other technicians of Wah Fung as an inducement to or reward for assisting Lam to submit defective smartphones to Wah Fung for replacement.
Lam is also alleged to have offered $20,000 per month to one of the two Wah Fung technicians as an inducement to or reward for allowing Lam to use the technician’s account with the aforesaid internal web-based system of Apple Asia.
In the third case, Pang Tze-yung is alleged to have offered a total of $6,400 to the abovementioned customer service officer of Wah Fung on six occasions as an inducement to or reward for assisting her to reserve timeslots with Wah Fung and to submit more smartphones to the company for repair.
In the last case, the charges allege that Pang Shui-luen had offered a total of $800 to the aforesaid customer service officer of Wah Fung on three occasions as an inducement to or reward for assisting her to submit more smartphones to Wah Fung for repair.
Wah Fung and Apple Asia had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Monday.
The defendants are Hon Chi-ho, 29, former technician of Wah Fung Computer Services Limited (Wah Fung); and Lam Wai, 40, Pang Tze-yung, 29, Pang Shui-luen, 27, all then parallel goods traders.
Hon faces two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). Lam faces two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO. Pang Tze-yung and Pang Shui-luen respectively face six and three similar offences.
The defendants will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (June 1) for plea in separate cases.
The above alleged offences took place between May 1, 2016 and April 30, 2017.
At the material time, Wah Fung was an authorised service provider of Apple Asia Limited (Apple Asia) providing repair services for the latter’s products, including smartphones, in Hong Kong. Wah Fung was authorised to use Apple Asia’s internal web-based system, which contained confidential product information including warranty condition and repair history.
Repair service users were required to reserve timeslots with Wah Fung through its website. Due to high demand for repair services, timeslots were reserved on a first come, first served basis.
In the first case, one of the charges alleges that Hon had accepted about $4,000 from a person unknown as an inducement to or reward for Hon to disclose his username and password of the aforesaid internal web-based system of Apple Asia to that person.
Another charge alleges that Hon had accepted about $9,000 from another person unknown as an inducement to or reward for Hon to install an unauthorised software at computers of Wah Fung.
In the second case, one of the charges alleges that Lam had offered $800 per smartphone to a customer service officer and two other technicians of Wah Fung as an inducement to or reward for assisting Lam to submit defective smartphones to Wah Fung for replacement.
Lam is also alleged to have offered $20,000 per month to one of the two Wah Fung technicians as an inducement to or reward for allowing Lam to use the technician’s account with the aforesaid internal web-based system of Apple Asia.
In the third case, Pang Tze-yung is alleged to have offered a total of $6,400 to the abovementioned customer service officer of Wah Fung on six occasions as an inducement to or reward for assisting her to reserve timeslots with Wah Fung and to submit more smartphones to the company for repair.
In the last case, the charges allege that Pang Shui-luen had offered a total of $800 to the aforesaid customer service officer of Wah Fung on three occasions as an inducement to or reward for assisting her to submit more smartphones to Wah Fung for repair.
Wah Fung and Apple Asia had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Monday.