Ex-staff of money lender in court over bribery for referral of loan applicant
2016-8-23
A former telesales executive of a licensed money lender appeared in the Kowloon City Magistracy today (Tuesday) after being charged by the ICAC with offering an illegal commission of around $15,000 to her then supervisor in relation to referral of a loan applicant.
Lau Shun-ching, 31, former telesales executive of United Asia Finance Limited (UA Finance), who was charged last Friday (August 19), faced one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant also faced an alternative charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case to October 18 this year for a pre-trial review.
At the material time, the defendant was a telesales executive working in the Mongkok office of the direct sales department of UA Finance, a licensed money lender in Hong Kong. She was under the supervision of a telesales executive who acted up as telesales supervisor.
The charge alleged that between December 30, 2013 and March 31, 2014, the defendant, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered around $15,000 to the acting telesales supervisor of UA Finance as a reward for referring a loan applicant to her.
The alternative charge alleged that between November 22, 2013 and February 28, 2014, the defendant conspired together with the acting telesales supervisor to defraud UA Finance by falsely representing that the loan application was referred by her, and thereby inducing UA Finance to pay a commission of $15,000 to her.
The defendant was granted cash bail of $5,000, and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
UA Finance had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Joan Wong.
Lau Shun-ching, 31, former telesales executive of United Asia Finance Limited (UA Finance), who was charged last Friday (August 19), faced one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant also faced an alternative charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case to October 18 this year for a pre-trial review.
At the material time, the defendant was a telesales executive working in the Mongkok office of the direct sales department of UA Finance, a licensed money lender in Hong Kong. She was under the supervision of a telesales executive who acted up as telesales supervisor.
The charge alleged that between December 30, 2013 and March 31, 2014, the defendant, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered around $15,000 to the acting telesales supervisor of UA Finance as a reward for referring a loan applicant to her.
The alternative charge alleged that between November 22, 2013 and February 28, 2014, the defendant conspired together with the acting telesales supervisor to defraud UA Finance by falsely representing that the loan application was referred by her, and thereby inducing UA Finance to pay a commission of $15,000 to her.
The defendant was granted cash bail of $5,000, and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
UA Finance had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Joan Wong.