Five Health Inspectors of the Centre for Food Safety (the Centre) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), who allegedly abused their power by failing to properly dispose of unused food samples after testing and stole them, were charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 18) for conspiracy to steal those food.

A former manager of a telecommunications company, charged by the ICAC, today (June 19) admitted at the Court of First Instance of the High Court that he had deceived the company into issuing purchase orders worth totalling over HK$30 million and making service payments totalling over HK$16 million to a supplier owned by his mother by concealing his conflict of interest.

A then assistant manager of a telecommunications company, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 19) sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts after being convicted of obtaining fibre installation service orders worth totalling $180,000 by concealing his interest in a contractor. The defendant was also found guilty of perversion for making false representation about his declaration made to the company during the Commission’s investigation.

A businessman was charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 17) for allegedly laundering crime proceeds totalling over RMB 400 million through a bank account in Hong Kong.

A Housing Officer of the Housing Department (HD), charged by the ICAC, was today (June 18) sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for violating an offence under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) by using records containing false information to mislead the HD that she had conducted flat inspection visits to verify occupancy status of various flats of a public rental housing estate.

ICAC Commissioner Woo ying-ming, who has commenced a three-day duty visit to the supervisory body in Shanghai and to attend the opening ceremony of a National Studies Course for senior ICAC officers. He encouraged colleagues to keep up with the country’s latest development and to contribute to the country’s and Hong Kong’s anti-corruption work.

In an operation codenamed “Gale” mounted early last week, the ICAC arrested 20 people, including staff members of a designated car testing centre (DCTC) in the New Territories, for their suspected involvement in a bribery scam that facilitated a number of private cars to pass the annual vehicle examination by circumventing the examination procedures of the Transport Department (TD).

An owner of an asset management company was charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 12) for allegedly laundering crime proceeds of about $50 million through a number of companies and individuals.

A company director was charged by the ICAC yesterday (June 11) for allegedly obtaining services by deception by using a fake identity to open a number of bank accounts at two banks.

The ICAC today (June 11) charged four employees of a contractor of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and two staff of a waste disposal company for allegedly offering and accepting advantages of laisees, coupons and drinks for assisting the company to unload construction waste to a landfill free of charge by disguising the waste loaded on trucks as non-construction waste and conspiracy to defraud the EPD.