Ex-senior supervisor of money lender admits bribery and fraud
2016-1-25
A former senior supervisor of a licensed money lender, who was charged by the ICAC, admitted at the Kowloon City Magistracy today (Monday) that he had accepted illegal commissions totalling $27,000 in relation to referral of two loan applicants, and conspired with his subordinates to defraud the money lender of wages.
Koon Chung-lin, 57, former senior supervisor of United Asia Finance Limited (UA Finance), pleaded guilty to four charges – three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), and one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Of the charges, two, namely bribery and conspiracy to defraud, were laid against him today.
Co-defendant Chan Ying-chi, 32, former senior supervisor of UA Finance, earlier admitted a similar count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of aiding and abetting an agent to solicit an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance. Another co-defendant Tse Shuk-fan, 30, former telesales executive of UA Finance, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak adjourned the case to February 5 this year for sentence. Koon was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The magistrate remarked that probity was a core value of Hong Kong and corruption had to be combatted vigorously. He forewarned that as Koon was the instigator of the bribery scam to exploit his subordinates, a custodial sentence would be unavoidable.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants worked in the Mongkok office of the direct sales department of UA Finance, a licensed money lender in Hong Kong. Koon acted up as head of the Mongkok office supervising all divisions of the direct sales department, while Chan was responsible for managing the telesales division.
In August 2013, Koon referred a loan case to Tse and solicited a rebate of 2.5 per cent of the loan amount as a rebate for the referral. Since Tse was absent from work for a long period of time due to her health condition, Koon, through Chan, directed another telesales executive to handle it and requested the telesales executive to give the sales commission to him.
After UA Finance granted a mortgage loan of $400,000 to the applicant on September 16, 2013, Tse and the telesales executive respectively paid $6,000 and $4,000 to Koon as rebates for the referral.
The court heard that on November 19, 2013, Koon, through Chan, provided the telesales executive with the contact information of another potential loan applicant, and demanded the telesales executive to give two per cent of the loan amount to him as a rebate for the referral.
Koon and Chan also suggested the telesales executive to pass the case to a teammate for handling as the latter would obtain a higher sales commission. The telesales executive acceded to the request.
A week later, the applicant secured a mortgage of $1 million from UA Finance. In early January 2014, the telesales executive gave $17,000 in total to Koon on three occasions, despite that he was not entitled to receive any commission in the loan case.
The court heard that between October and November 2013, Koon conspired together with Chan, Tse and the telesales executive to defraud UA Finance.
They falsely represented that Tse was on duty at the Mongkok office during the time as shown on the computer attendance records, thereby inducing UA Finance to pay her wages of over $8,300 as claimed, the court was told.
UA Finance had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Joan Wong.
Koon Chung-lin, 57, former senior supervisor of United Asia Finance Limited (UA Finance), pleaded guilty to four charges – three of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), and one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Of the charges, two, namely bribery and conspiracy to defraud, were laid against him today.
Co-defendant Chan Ying-chi, 32, former senior supervisor of UA Finance, earlier admitted a similar count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of aiding and abetting an agent to solicit an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance. Another co-defendant Tse Shuk-fan, 30, former telesales executive of UA Finance, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak adjourned the case to February 5 this year for sentence. Koon was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The magistrate remarked that probity was a core value of Hong Kong and corruption had to be combatted vigorously. He forewarned that as Koon was the instigator of the bribery scam to exploit his subordinates, a custodial sentence would be unavoidable.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants worked in the Mongkok office of the direct sales department of UA Finance, a licensed money lender in Hong Kong. Koon acted up as head of the Mongkok office supervising all divisions of the direct sales department, while Chan was responsible for managing the telesales division.
In August 2013, Koon referred a loan case to Tse and solicited a rebate of 2.5 per cent of the loan amount as a rebate for the referral. Since Tse was absent from work for a long period of time due to her health condition, Koon, through Chan, directed another telesales executive to handle it and requested the telesales executive to give the sales commission to him.
After UA Finance granted a mortgage loan of $400,000 to the applicant on September 16, 2013, Tse and the telesales executive respectively paid $6,000 and $4,000 to Koon as rebates for the referral.
The court heard that on November 19, 2013, Koon, through Chan, provided the telesales executive with the contact information of another potential loan applicant, and demanded the telesales executive to give two per cent of the loan amount to him as a rebate for the referral.
Koon and Chan also suggested the telesales executive to pass the case to a teammate for handling as the latter would obtain a higher sales commission. The telesales executive acceded to the request.
A week later, the applicant secured a mortgage of $1 million from UA Finance. In early January 2014, the telesales executive gave $17,000 in total to Koon on three occasions, despite that he was not entitled to receive any commission in the loan case.
The court heard that between October and November 2013, Koon conspired together with Chan, Tse and the telesales executive to defraud UA Finance.
They falsely represented that Tse was on duty at the Mongkok office during the time as shown on the computer attendance records, thereby inducing UA Finance to pay her wages of over $8,300 as claimed, the court was told.
UA Finance had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Joan Wong.