Company director gets four months for bribing bank staff
2017-7-14
A director of a manufacturing company, charged by the ICAC, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at the Fanling Magistracy today (July 14) after admitting that he had offered a bribe of 9,999 Renminbi twice to an employee of a bank for assisting him in opening an account for his company.
Zhao Genglian, 55, sole director-cum-shareholder of China (HK) Huanggang Int’l Investment & Development Limited (CHII), today pleaded guilty to two charges of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, while the prosecution offered no evidence to a similar charge against him.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Raymond Wong Kwok-fai said the bribery offences committed by the defendant were serious in nature. He reduced the starting point of six months in jail by one-third to four months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole director-cum-shareholder of CHII, a manufacturing company registered in Hong Kong.
On January 17, 2017, the defendant visited the Sheung Shui Business Centre of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) to apply for opening a bank account for CHII.
An assistant manager of HSBC was assigned to handle the defendant’s application and interview him. During the interview, the assistant manager asked the defendant to submit additional documents for the application.
The court heard that on February 9, 2017, the defendant sent the additional documents to the assistant manager via an instant messaging platform. He asked the assistant manager to say something positive to his supervisor and swiftly approve his application.
On the following day, the defendant sent a 9,999 Renminbi transfer note to the assistant manager in the instant messaging platform.
The assistant manager did not accept the transfer, but the defendant continued to send messages to persuade him to accept it. The assistant manager reported the matter to his supervisor.
The court heard that on February 11, 2017, the defendant sent a 9,999 Renminbi transfer note to the assistant manager again through the instant messaging platform. The assistant manager did not accept it and reported the matter to the bank.
The account opening application of CHII was rejected by HSBC on February 14, 2017.
The defendant was arrested by the ICAC on June 5, 2017. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, he admitted that he sent the two transfer notes to the assistant manager, the court was told.
The management of HSBC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Serena Lam.
Zhao Genglian, 55, sole director-cum-shareholder of China (HK) Huanggang Int’l Investment & Development Limited (CHII), today pleaded guilty to two charges of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, while the prosecution offered no evidence to a similar charge against him.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Raymond Wong Kwok-fai said the bribery offences committed by the defendant were serious in nature. He reduced the starting point of six months in jail by one-third to four months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole director-cum-shareholder of CHII, a manufacturing company registered in Hong Kong.
On January 17, 2017, the defendant visited the Sheung Shui Business Centre of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) to apply for opening a bank account for CHII.
An assistant manager of HSBC was assigned to handle the defendant’s application and interview him. During the interview, the assistant manager asked the defendant to submit additional documents for the application.
The court heard that on February 9, 2017, the defendant sent the additional documents to the assistant manager via an instant messaging platform. He asked the assistant manager to say something positive to his supervisor and swiftly approve his application.
On the following day, the defendant sent a 9,999 Renminbi transfer note to the assistant manager in the instant messaging platform.
The assistant manager did not accept the transfer, but the defendant continued to send messages to persuade him to accept it. The assistant manager reported the matter to his supervisor.
The court heard that on February 11, 2017, the defendant sent a 9,999 Renminbi transfer note to the assistant manager again through the instant messaging platform. The assistant manager did not accept it and reported the matter to the bank.
The account opening application of CHII was rejected by HSBC on February 14, 2017.
The defendant was arrested by the ICAC on June 5, 2017. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, he admitted that he sent the two transfer notes to the assistant manager, the court was told.
The management of HSBC had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Serena Lam.