Seven charged with bribery over referral of mortgage clients
2016-5-27
A manager of a mortgage broker and six former property agents of a property agency have been charged by the ICAC today (Friday) with offering and accepting illegal commissions totalling over $34,000 respectively in relation to referral of clients for mortgage services.
Kat Choi Ching-man, 45, a senior account manager of m.Mortgage Realty Strategic (HK) Services Limited (MRSSL); Joee Ling Yiu-cho, 42, Chiu Chor-wa, 49, So Kin-shing, 35, Wu Ka-man, 29, Lau Chin-yim, 30, and Leung Ho-wai, 35, all former property agents of Centaline Property Agency Limited (CPA), face a total of 15 bribery charges.
The defendants will appear in the Eastern Magistracy next Tuesday (May 31) for plea in two separate cases.
In the first case, Choi faces seven counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
Ling and Chiu each faces two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO, while So, Wu and Lau each faces one similar offence.
At the material time, Choi was a senior account manager of MRSSL, while Ling, Chiu, So, Wu and Lau were property agents of CPA posted to its various branches.
Centaline Mortgage Broker Limited (CMB), a company associated with CPA, MRSSL and Double Force Limited (DFL) were brokers providing mortgage referral services.
Should clients of CPA require mortgage related services, its property agents were obliged to refer them to CMB. Property agents of CPA were not allowed to accept commissions as rewards for referring its clients to any company other than CMB for mortgage services.
Seven of the charges allege that between December 4, 2012 and June 11, 2013, Choi offered a total of $28,250 to Ling, Chiu, So, Wu and Lau as rewards for them to refer clients of CPA to MRSSL or DFL for mortgage services.
Another two charges allege Ling of accepting $8,603 and $3,289 from Choi for the same purpose, while two other charges allege Chiu of accepting $5,829 and $992 from Choi for the same purpose.
The remaining three charges allege So, Wu and Lau of accepting $3,820, $2,466 and $3,251 from Choi respectively for the same purpose.
In another case, Leung faces one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The charge alleges that in March 2013, Leung accepted $5,762 from a manager of a company associated with MRSSL as a reward for referring a client of CPA to MRSSL and/or DFL for mortgage services.
CPA has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Tuesday.
Kat Choi Ching-man, 45, a senior account manager of m.Mortgage Realty Strategic (HK) Services Limited (MRSSL); Joee Ling Yiu-cho, 42, Chiu Chor-wa, 49, So Kin-shing, 35, Wu Ka-man, 29, Lau Chin-yim, 30, and Leung Ho-wai, 35, all former property agents of Centaline Property Agency Limited (CPA), face a total of 15 bribery charges.
The defendants will appear in the Eastern Magistracy next Tuesday (May 31) for plea in two separate cases.
In the first case, Choi faces seven counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
Ling and Chiu each faces two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO, while So, Wu and Lau each faces one similar offence.
At the material time, Choi was a senior account manager of MRSSL, while Ling, Chiu, So, Wu and Lau were property agents of CPA posted to its various branches.
Centaline Mortgage Broker Limited (CMB), a company associated with CPA, MRSSL and Double Force Limited (DFL) were brokers providing mortgage referral services.
Should clients of CPA require mortgage related services, its property agents were obliged to refer them to CMB. Property agents of CPA were not allowed to accept commissions as rewards for referring its clients to any company other than CMB for mortgage services.
Seven of the charges allege that between December 4, 2012 and June 11, 2013, Choi offered a total of $28,250 to Ling, Chiu, So, Wu and Lau as rewards for them to refer clients of CPA to MRSSL or DFL for mortgage services.
Another two charges allege Ling of accepting $8,603 and $3,289 from Choi for the same purpose, while two other charges allege Chiu of accepting $5,829 and $992 from Choi for the same purpose.
The remaining three charges allege So, Wu and Lau of accepting $3,820, $2,466 and $3,251 from Choi respectively for the same purpose.
In another case, Leung faces one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The charge alleges that in March 2013, Leung accepted $5,762 from a manager of a company associated with MRSSL as a reward for referring a client of CPA to MRSSL and/or DFL for mortgage services.
CPA has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance next Tuesday.