Ex-employees of restaurant chain in court over bribery and fraud
2016-11-15
Three former employees of a Japanese fast food restaurant chain appeared at the Tuen Mun Magistracy today (November 15) after being charged by the ICAC with accepting about $70,000 in bribes from their supervisor, and conspiracy to defraud the restaurant chain by inputting inaccurate sales records into its cashier computer system.
The defendants, who were charged last Friday (November 11) in two cases, were Wong Ka-chun, 26, former supervisor of Yoshinoya Fast Food (Hong Kong) Limited (Yoshinoya); Hor Kam-ting, 20, and Chan Sze-wan, 21, both former assistant supervisors of Yoshinoya.
In the first case, Wong and Hor faced a joint count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Wong was also charged with one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Hor faced a similar offence.
Hor pleaded guilty to the charges. Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Merinda Chow Yin-chu adjourned to the case to December 5 this year for sentence, pending rehabilitation centre, community service order, probation, training centre and young offender assessment panel reports. Hor was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
Wong entered no plea today, and had his case adjourned to December 14 this year for plea. He was granted cash bail of $20,000, and ordered not to leave Hong Kong and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
At the material time, Wong was a supervisor at Tin Shui Branch of Yoshinoya, while Hor was an assistant supervisor at the branch. They were under the supervision of its senior store manager.
One of the charges stated that between December 1, 2014 and March 3, 2016, Hor and Wong conspired together with the senior store manager to defraud Yoshinoya by dishonestly permitting Yoshinoya to book its sales turnover of Tin Shui Branch by relying on the records compiled by the cashier computer system installed in the branch, knowing that the records compiled were inaccurate. Wong entered no plea to this charge.
Another charge stated that between August 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, Hor accepted a total of approximately $8,500 from the senior store manager as rewards for assisting in causing inaccurate sales records to be made within the cashier computer system at Tin Shui Branch.
The remaining charge alleged that between January 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, Wong accepted a total of approximately $56,000 from the senior store manager for the same purpose.
In the second case, Chan faced one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
Chan pleaded guilty to the charge today. Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Merinda Chow Yin-chu sentenced her to three months and two weeks’ imprisonment.
At the material time, Chan was an assistant supervisor at Tin Shui Branch of Yoshinoya. She was also under the supervision of its senior store manager.
The charge stated that between July 1 and November 30, 2015, Chan accepted a total of approximately $5,000 from the senior store manager as rewards for assisting in causing inaccurate sales records to be made within the cashier computer system at Tin Shui Branch.
Yoshinoya had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution in the above two cases was today represented by ICAC officer Stephanie Cheng.
The defendants, who were charged last Friday (November 11) in two cases, were Wong Ka-chun, 26, former supervisor of Yoshinoya Fast Food (Hong Kong) Limited (Yoshinoya); Hor Kam-ting, 20, and Chan Sze-wan, 21, both former assistant supervisors of Yoshinoya.
In the first case, Wong and Hor faced a joint count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Wong was also charged with one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Hor faced a similar offence.
Hor pleaded guilty to the charges. Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Merinda Chow Yin-chu adjourned to the case to December 5 this year for sentence, pending rehabilitation centre, community service order, probation, training centre and young offender assessment panel reports. Hor was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
Wong entered no plea today, and had his case adjourned to December 14 this year for plea. He was granted cash bail of $20,000, and ordered not to leave Hong Kong and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
At the material time, Wong was a supervisor at Tin Shui Branch of Yoshinoya, while Hor was an assistant supervisor at the branch. They were under the supervision of its senior store manager.
One of the charges stated that between December 1, 2014 and March 3, 2016, Hor and Wong conspired together with the senior store manager to defraud Yoshinoya by dishonestly permitting Yoshinoya to book its sales turnover of Tin Shui Branch by relying on the records compiled by the cashier computer system installed in the branch, knowing that the records compiled were inaccurate. Wong entered no plea to this charge.
Another charge stated that between August 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, Hor accepted a total of approximately $8,500 from the senior store manager as rewards for assisting in causing inaccurate sales records to be made within the cashier computer system at Tin Shui Branch.
The remaining charge alleged that between January 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016, Wong accepted a total of approximately $56,000 from the senior store manager for the same purpose.
In the second case, Chan faced one count of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
Chan pleaded guilty to the charge today. Acting Principal Magistrate Ms Merinda Chow Yin-chu sentenced her to three months and two weeks’ imprisonment.
At the material time, Chan was an assistant supervisor at Tin Shui Branch of Yoshinoya. She was also under the supervision of its senior store manager.
The charge stated that between July 1 and November 30, 2015, Chan accepted a total of approximately $5,000 from the senior store manager as rewards for assisting in causing inaccurate sales records to be made within the cashier computer system at Tin Shui Branch.
Yoshinoya had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution in the above two cases was today represented by ICAC officer Stephanie Cheng.