The ICAC Regional Office (Kowloon East/Sai Kung) at Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay will relocate to new premises in Tseung Kwan O next Monday (October 20). The office will continue to maintain close connection with the local communities in the fight against corruption.

A Housing Officer of the Housing Department (HD) was charged by the ICAC yesterday (October 15) with fraud for allegedly making false representations to two applicants that their respective applications for public housing family member addition and community function had been approved by the department.

Following an intensive investigation into a corruption complaint in relation to building maintenance works of a private residential estate in Shau Kei Wan, a property officer of a property management company and two renovation contractors were charged by the ICAC yesterday (14 October) for allegedly securing various minor works of the estate worth totalling $1 million by fraudulent means, including concealing conflicting interest and submitting false quotations.

An Assistant Taxation Officer of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) was charged by the ICAC today (October 14) for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes totalling over $19,000 from four taxpayers for assisting them to pay less tax and track debtors for debt collection. The Assistant Taxation Officer also jointly faces an offence of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office (MIPO) with a Foreman of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) for allegedly conducting an unauthorised search in the IRD’s computer systems for information relating to an FEHD complainant.

Following an operation codenamed “Heron” and seeking legal advice after conducting an intensive investigation which revealed that a syndicate engaged in the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) had allegedly delivered e-cigarettes and vaping products to customers through corrupt means, the ICAC today (October 13) charged eight people, including the mastermind of the syndicate and staff members of a logistics company, with total bribes amounting to about $370,000.

A waitress was charged by the ICAC yesterday (October 8) for allegedly offering bribes consisting of a supermarket voucher and cash worth totalling $350 to two staff members of the Labour Department (LD) for assisting her in filing a claim for wages and severance payment against her former employer. Her offers were rejected by the LD staff.

The ICAC charged six individuals on Monday (October 6) after a corruption investigation revealed that a Police Sergeant, together with an insurance agent, had recruited his family members, friends and Police colleagues to pose as dummy insurance agents and policyholders to take out 20 bogus insurance policies using false information to deceive two insurers into releasing payments of commissions, bonuses and allowances totalling about $3 million.

A subcontractor of Kai Tak Sports Park construction project was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment at the District Court today (October 6) after a bribery investigation by the ICAC revealed that he had conspired with a businessman to falsify accounts to evade taxes of over $14.6 million. In addition, a compensation order was made against the subcontractor. While an employee of the main contractor, who pleaded guilty to accepting $1 million in bribe, passed away following an illness before sentencing, the court disposed of the bribe in this case and did not impose a sentence on him.

A former bank employee and an intermediary were charged by the ICAC yesterday (October 2) for allegedly conspiring together to accept bribes totalling over RMB13,000, i.e., about HK$15,000, for assisting clients of the intermediary to open bank accounts. Similarly, the bank employee had allegedly offered bribes to a colleague, but his offer was rejected.

A couple from a subcontractor of a construction project in Mid-Levels, charged by the ICAC, were today (September 30) sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with the wife’s jail term suspended for 24 months, at the District Court for defrauding the project contractor of almost $9.6 million by falsifying and overstating the wages of workers.