Trio in court for bribery and disclosing identity of persons under ICAC probe
2017-5-12
A former vice president and a client of a bank appeared at the West Kowloon Magistracy today (May 12) after being charged by the ICAC with accepting and offering bribes of about HK$15,000 in total respectively in relation to the handling of credit facilities of two companies of the client, while the former vice president and his mother faced charges of disclosing the identity of persons under ICAC investigation.
Leung Siu-lun, 31, former vice president of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and Mickey Chu Kong, 43, sole director cum shareholder of Alpha Games China Limited (AGCL), who were charged yesterday (May 11), faced two joint charges of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Leung alone faced five counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO, while Chu alone faced five counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Leung and his mother Tsang Kam-fung, 55, who was also charged yesterday, each faced one count of disclosing the identity of a person being investigated, contrary to Section 30(1)(a) of the POBO.
No plea was taken today. Acting Principle Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak adjourned the case to July 7 this year for mention.
At the material time, Leung was a vice president of HSBC working at its business centre in Mong Kok. Chu was the operators of AGCL and Princess Margaret China Limited (PMCL).
Two of the charges alleged that between September 4 and October 9, 2015, Leung and Chu conspired together for Leung, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to accept payments by or on behalf of Chu for three-night hotel accommodation at a hotel in Macao and one night at a hotel in Guangzhou as rewards for processing applications for credit facilities and/or maintaining the credit facilities in relation to AGCL and/or PMCL.
Five other charges alleged that between November 1, 2014 and April 29, 2016, Leung, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accepted advantages, namely the use of two private cars for free, a television game console, a cash gift and a coffee machine, from Chu for the same purpose.
Five other charges alleged Chu of having offered the above advantages to Leung for the same purpose.
The alleged advantages, including the free hotel accommodation, the free use of private cars, a television game console, a cash gift and a coffee machine, were said to amount to about HK$15,000.
Another charge alleged that on May 14, 2016, Tsang, knowing and suspecting that an investigation in respect of an offence alleged or suspected to have been committed under Part II of the POBO was taking place, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, disclosed to Leung, a person who was the subject of the investigation, that he was the subject of such investigation.
The remaining charge alleged that on the same day, Leung, knowing and suspecting that an investigation in respect of an offence alleged or suspected to have been committed under Part II of the POBO was taking place, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, disclosed to Chu, a person who was the subject of the investigation, that he was the subject of such investigation.
Leung and Chu were granted cash bail of HK$80,000 and HK$100,000 respectively, while Tsang was on cash bail of HK$5,000. They were also ordered to report to the Police once a week and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
HSBC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Rosa Lo, assisted by ICAC officer Brian Lo.
Leung Siu-lun, 31, former vice president of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), and Mickey Chu Kong, 43, sole director cum shareholder of Alpha Games China Limited (AGCL), who were charged yesterday (May 11), faced two joint charges of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Leung alone faced five counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO, while Chu alone faced five counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the POBO.
Leung and his mother Tsang Kam-fung, 55, who was also charged yesterday, each faced one count of disclosing the identity of a person being investigated, contrary to Section 30(1)(a) of the POBO.
No plea was taken today. Acting Principle Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak adjourned the case to July 7 this year for mention.
At the material time, Leung was a vice president of HSBC working at its business centre in Mong Kok. Chu was the operators of AGCL and Princess Margaret China Limited (PMCL).
Two of the charges alleged that between September 4 and October 9, 2015, Leung and Chu conspired together for Leung, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, to accept payments by or on behalf of Chu for three-night hotel accommodation at a hotel in Macao and one night at a hotel in Guangzhou as rewards for processing applications for credit facilities and/or maintaining the credit facilities in relation to AGCL and/or PMCL.
Five other charges alleged that between November 1, 2014 and April 29, 2016, Leung, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accepted advantages, namely the use of two private cars for free, a television game console, a cash gift and a coffee machine, from Chu for the same purpose.
Five other charges alleged Chu of having offered the above advantages to Leung for the same purpose.
The alleged advantages, including the free hotel accommodation, the free use of private cars, a television game console, a cash gift and a coffee machine, were said to amount to about HK$15,000.
Another charge alleged that on May 14, 2016, Tsang, knowing and suspecting that an investigation in respect of an offence alleged or suspected to have been committed under Part II of the POBO was taking place, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, disclosed to Leung, a person who was the subject of the investigation, that he was the subject of such investigation.
The remaining charge alleged that on the same day, Leung, knowing and suspecting that an investigation in respect of an offence alleged or suspected to have been committed under Part II of the POBO was taking place, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, disclosed to Chu, a person who was the subject of the investigation, that he was the subject of such investigation.
Leung and Chu were granted cash bail of HK$80,000 and HK$100,000 respectively, while Tsang was on cash bail of HK$5,000. They were also ordered to report to the Police once a week and not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
HSBC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Rosa Lo, assisted by ICAC officer Brian Lo.