Six months’ jail for $273,000 design service payments fraud over Shatin to Central Link
2018-11-26
A contractor of MTR Corporation Limited (MTR Corporation), charged by the ICAC, was today (November 26) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistracy for conspiracy to defraud the MTR Corporation of design service payments totalling over $273,000 in relation to the Shatin to Central Link.
Ying Yuk, 47, sole proprietor of IDEO Design Solution (IDEO), was earlier found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai said he meted out an immediate custodial sentence of six months to the defendant after taking into account the large amount of money involved in the fraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole proprietor of IDEO, a registered freelance designer of the MTR Corporation. Lau Kwok-fai, brother-in-law of the defendant, was the manager of the Branding and Creative Design Team of the MTR Corporation, and had the authority to contract out design tasks to registered freelance designers or design contractors directly.
Between December 1, 2014 and October 27, 2015, the defendant, Lau and the sole proprietor of another registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation falsely represented that the latter had provided design services for the digital route map screen display graphic project of the Shatin to Central Link, and submitted to the MTR Corporation four invoices issued by the contractor in respect of the design services it had purportedly provided.
As a result of the false representation and invoices, the MTR Corporation was caused and induced to make payments to the design contractor in the total sum of $273,450.
The court heard that after receiving the payments from the MTR Corporation, the design contractor paid the defendant the total sum by cheques upon Lau’s instruction.
In fact, neither IDEO nor the design contractor had provided any design services for the project. The design work of the project was completed by an in-house designer of the MTR Corporation, a subordinate of Lau, upon his instruction.
Lau, 51, who was also charged by the ICAC for his role in the scam, earlier pleaded guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to defraud. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
The MTR Corporation had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Benny Chang.
Ying Yuk, 47, sole proprietor of IDEO Design Solution (IDEO), was earlier found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai said he meted out an immediate custodial sentence of six months to the defendant after taking into account the large amount of money involved in the fraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the sole proprietor of IDEO, a registered freelance designer of the MTR Corporation. Lau Kwok-fai, brother-in-law of the defendant, was the manager of the Branding and Creative Design Team of the MTR Corporation, and had the authority to contract out design tasks to registered freelance designers or design contractors directly.
Between December 1, 2014 and October 27, 2015, the defendant, Lau and the sole proprietor of another registered design contractor of the MTR Corporation falsely represented that the latter had provided design services for the digital route map screen display graphic project of the Shatin to Central Link, and submitted to the MTR Corporation four invoices issued by the contractor in respect of the design services it had purportedly provided.
As a result of the false representation and invoices, the MTR Corporation was caused and induced to make payments to the design contractor in the total sum of $273,450.
The court heard that after receiving the payments from the MTR Corporation, the design contractor paid the defendant the total sum by cheques upon Lau’s instruction.
In fact, neither IDEO nor the design contractor had provided any design services for the project. The design work of the project was completed by an in-house designer of the MTR Corporation, a subordinate of Lau, upon his instruction.
Lau, 51, who was also charged by the ICAC for his role in the scam, earlier pleaded guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to defraud. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
The MTR Corporation had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Benny Chang.