Duo in court over $580,000 MTR Corporation design service payments fraud
2017-11-22
A former manager of the MTR Corporation Limited (MTR Corporation) and a proprietor of a design company appeared in the Kwun Tong Magistracy today (November 22) after being charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to defraud the MTR Corporation of design service payments totalling over $580,000.
Lau Kwok-fai, 50, former manager of the MTR Corporation, and Ying Yuk, 46, sole proprietor of IDEO Design Solution (IDEO), who were charged on Monday (November 20), faced seven joint charges of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
No plea was taken. Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case until December 22 this year for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Lau was the manager of the Branding and Creative Design Team of the MTR Corporation, who had the authority to contract out design tasks to registered freelance designers or design contractors directly. Ying was the sole proprietor of IDEO, a registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation.
Six of the charges alleged that between November 1, 2012 and April 3, 2014, Lau and Ying conspired together to defraud staff members of the MTR Corporation by falsely representing that IDEO had provided design services for six projects, submitting 16 invoices issued by IDEO in respect of the design services it had provided; and causing and inducing those staff members of the MTR Corporation to make payments to IDEO in the total sum of $309,000 for the design services.
The remaining charge alleged that between December 1, 2014 and October 27, 2015, Lau and Ying conspired together and with the sole proprietor of another registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation to defraud staff members of the MTR Corporation by falsely representing that the contractor had provided design services for another project, submitting four invoices issued by the contractor in respect of the design services it had provided; and causing and inducing those staff members of the MTR Corporation to make a payment to the contractor in the sum of over $273,000 for the design services.
Lau and Ying were each granted cash bail of $9,000, and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
The MTR Corporation had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Kits Wong.
Lau Kwok-fai, 50, former manager of the MTR Corporation, and Ying Yuk, 46, sole proprietor of IDEO Design Solution (IDEO), who were charged on Monday (November 20), faced seven joint charges of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
No plea was taken. Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case until December 22 this year for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Lau was the manager of the Branding and Creative Design Team of the MTR Corporation, who had the authority to contract out design tasks to registered freelance designers or design contractors directly. Ying was the sole proprietor of IDEO, a registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation.
Six of the charges alleged that between November 1, 2012 and April 3, 2014, Lau and Ying conspired together to defraud staff members of the MTR Corporation by falsely representing that IDEO had provided design services for six projects, submitting 16 invoices issued by IDEO in respect of the design services it had provided; and causing and inducing those staff members of the MTR Corporation to make payments to IDEO in the total sum of $309,000 for the design services.
The remaining charge alleged that between December 1, 2014 and October 27, 2015, Lau and Ying conspired together and with the sole proprietor of another registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation to defraud staff members of the MTR Corporation by falsely representing that the contractor had provided design services for another project, submitting four invoices issued by the contractor in respect of the design services it had provided; and causing and inducing those staff members of the MTR Corporation to make a payment to the contractor in the sum of over $273,000 for the design services.
Lau and Ying were each granted cash bail of $9,000, and ordered not to interfere with prosecution witnesses.
The MTR Corporation had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Kits Wong.