Ex-bar bender in court over bribery and fraud
2016-10-7
A former bar bender of an engineering company appeared in the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (Friday) after being charged by the ICAC with soliciting $60,000 and accepting $45,000 as bribes from another bar bender and defrauding three others of $34,700 in relation to their employment at a construction site of the Housing Department (HD).
Tang Pang-fei, 25, a former bar bender and fixer of On Steel Engineering Limited (OSE), who was charged on Wednesday (October 5), faced one count of agent soliciting an advantage and one of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant further faced three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Principal Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin Kam-hung adjourned the case to November 8 this year for a pre-trial review.
At the material time, the defendant was employed by OSE as a bar bender and fixer at the construction site of the HD in Kwun Tong. Due to shortage of manpower, the defendant was asked to recruit more bar benders and fixers to work at the construction site.
One of the charges alleged that between April 1 and May 6, 2015, the defendant solicited from a person a sum of $600 out of his daily wage of $1,930 of 25 days a month for a period of four months, totalling $60,000, as rewards for referring the person to work as a bar bender and fixer with OSE.
Another charge alleged that between June 5 and August 10, 2015, the defendant accepted a total of $45,000 from that person as rewards for maintaining the employment of the latter by OSE as a bar bender and fixer.
Two other charges alleged that between an unknown date in April and August 9, 2015, the defendant falsely represented to two other persons that they each had to pay $200 per day out of their daily wage of $1,720 to the “Boss” of OSE, and with intent to defraud, induced the duo to release total sums of $9,800 and $2,400 to him respectively.
The remaining charge alleged that between an unknown date in April and August 7, 2015, the defendant falsely represented to another person that he had to pay $300 per day out of his daily wage of $1,930 to the “Big Brother” of a construction site of OSE, and with intent to defraud, induced that person to release a total sum of $22,500 to him.
The defendant was granted cash bail of $10,000. He was ordered not to leave Hong Kong and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
OSE had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Terence Wong.
Tang Pang-fei, 25, a former bar bender and fixer of On Steel Engineering Limited (OSE), who was charged on Wednesday (October 5), faced one count of agent soliciting an advantage and one of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant further faced three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Principal Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin Kam-hung adjourned the case to November 8 this year for a pre-trial review.
At the material time, the defendant was employed by OSE as a bar bender and fixer at the construction site of the HD in Kwun Tong. Due to shortage of manpower, the defendant was asked to recruit more bar benders and fixers to work at the construction site.
One of the charges alleged that between April 1 and May 6, 2015, the defendant solicited from a person a sum of $600 out of his daily wage of $1,930 of 25 days a month for a period of four months, totalling $60,000, as rewards for referring the person to work as a bar bender and fixer with OSE.
Another charge alleged that between June 5 and August 10, 2015, the defendant accepted a total of $45,000 from that person as rewards for maintaining the employment of the latter by OSE as a bar bender and fixer.
Two other charges alleged that between an unknown date in April and August 9, 2015, the defendant falsely represented to two other persons that they each had to pay $200 per day out of their daily wage of $1,720 to the “Boss” of OSE, and with intent to defraud, induced the duo to release total sums of $9,800 and $2,400 to him respectively.
The remaining charge alleged that between an unknown date in April and August 7, 2015, the defendant falsely represented to another person that he had to pay $300 per day out of his daily wage of $1,930 to the “Big Brother” of a construction site of OSE, and with intent to defraud, induced that person to release a total sum of $22,500 to him.
The defendant was granted cash bail of $10,000. He was ordered not to leave Hong Kong and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
OSE had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Terence Wong.