Ex-bank managers in court for bribery and illegal access to computers for customer data
2017-11-1
Two former managers of a bank appeared in the Eastern Magistracy today (November 1) after being charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to access its computers to retrieve customer information, while one of them also faced a charge of conspiracy for her to accept bribes of $15,000 in total for doing so.
The defendants, who were charged on Monday (October 30) in separate cases, were Chow Yee-kei, 28, former assistant relationship manager of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (DBS Bank), and Kwan Tsz-him, 29, former treasures relationship manager of DBS Bank.
Chow and Kwan each faced a charge of conspiracy to access computer with criminal or dishonest intent, contrary to Sections 161 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Chow alone faced a charge of conspiracy for agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
No plea was taken today. Principal Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai adjourned the cases to December 13 this year for mention.
In the first case, Chow was posted to a branch of DBS Bank as a business development executive tasked to handle enquiries and requests from customers at the material time. She was later promoted to the post of assistant relationship manager.
One of the charges alleged that between November 2, 2015 and December 6, 2016, Chow conspired together with a former business development executive of DBS Bank for Chow to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept a total sum of approximately $15,000 from the former business development executive as a reward for Chow to retrieve customer information stored in its Customer Relationship Management System (CRM System).
The other charge alleged that during the same period, Chow conspired together with the former business development executive to obtain access to a computer owned by DBS Bank to retrieve customer information stored in its CRM System, with a view to dishonest gain for themselves or another.
In the second case, Kwan was a treasures relationship manager of DBS Bank posted to another branch at the material time. He was responsible for handling enquiries and requests from customers.
The charge alleged that between April 1 and December 6, 2016, Kwan conspired together with a former direct sales officer of another bank to obtain access to another computer owned by DBS Bank to retrieve customer information stored in its CRM System, with a view to dishonest gain for themselves or another.
Chow and Kwan were each granted cash bail of $30,000. They were ordered to reside at their reported addresses and not to contact prosecution witnesses directly or indirectly.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint referred by DBS Bank, which had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution in the above two cases was today represented by ICAC officer Seth Yiu.
The defendants, who were charged on Monday (October 30) in separate cases, were Chow Yee-kei, 28, former assistant relationship manager of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (DBS Bank), and Kwan Tsz-him, 29, former treasures relationship manager of DBS Bank.
Chow and Kwan each faced a charge of conspiracy to access computer with criminal or dishonest intent, contrary to Sections 161 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Chow alone faced a charge of conspiracy for agent to accept advantages, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
No plea was taken today. Principal Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai adjourned the cases to December 13 this year for mention.
In the first case, Chow was posted to a branch of DBS Bank as a business development executive tasked to handle enquiries and requests from customers at the material time. She was later promoted to the post of assistant relationship manager.
One of the charges alleged that between November 2, 2015 and December 6, 2016, Chow conspired together with a former business development executive of DBS Bank for Chow to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept a total sum of approximately $15,000 from the former business development executive as a reward for Chow to retrieve customer information stored in its Customer Relationship Management System (CRM System).
The other charge alleged that during the same period, Chow conspired together with the former business development executive to obtain access to a computer owned by DBS Bank to retrieve customer information stored in its CRM System, with a view to dishonest gain for themselves or another.
In the second case, Kwan was a treasures relationship manager of DBS Bank posted to another branch at the material time. He was responsible for handling enquiries and requests from customers.
The charge alleged that between April 1 and December 6, 2016, Kwan conspired together with a former direct sales officer of another bank to obtain access to another computer owned by DBS Bank to retrieve customer information stored in its CRM System, with a view to dishonest gain for themselves or another.
Chow and Kwan were each granted cash bail of $30,000. They were ordered to reside at their reported addresses and not to contact prosecution witnesses directly or indirectly.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint referred by DBS Bank, which had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution in the above two cases was today represented by ICAC officer Seth Yiu.