Director of ASTRI charged with MIPO over purchase orders
2019-3-29
A director of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) has been charged by the ICAC today (March 29) with misconduct in public office (MIPO) for failing to disclose his interests in two vendor companies when endorsing over $535,000 worth of purchase orders issued to the companies in seven procurement exercises.
Lau Man-kin, 49, Research & Development Director of ASTRI, faces a charge of MIPO, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear at the Shatin Magistracy next Tuesday (April 2) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by ASTRI. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.
At the material time, the defendant was a Research & Development Director of ASTRI, a public body set up by the Government in 2000. He was appointed by ASTRI as the project coordinator of three research and development projects which received funding totalling over $9.4 million from the Innovation and Technology Fund established by the Government and managed by the Innovation and Technology Commission.
The charge alleges that between March 1, 2016 and October 30, 2017, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to his public office, without reasonable excuse or justification, wilfully misconducted himself by:
(i) falsely declaring to ASTRI that he did not have a conflict of interest with the recommended vendors when he endorsed seven procurements conducted by ASTRI between August 2016 and October 2017, in which quotations issued in the name of Globalactive Technology Limited (Globalactive) and Broadlearning Education (Asia) Limited (Broadlearning Asia) were submitted to ASTRI in support of the seven procurements;
(ii) failing to declare to ASTRI the shareholdings his wife held in Globalactive and Golden Commence Limited (Golden Commence) when he endorsed the seven procurements;
(iii) failing to declare to ASTRI his close personal relationship with the director of Broadlearning Asia when he endorsed the seven procurements; and
(iv) thereby benefiting himself, his wife and the director of Broadlearning Asia.
ICAC enquiries revealed that in the seven procurements the defendant had endorsed the issue of over $535,000 worth of purchase orders for computer hardware and software to Globalactive and Broadlearning Asia, of which the defendant’s wife had financial interests, either in her name or through Golden Commence.
Had ASTRI known that Globalactive or Broadlearning Asia was directly or indirectly owned by or under the control of the defendant, his wife or his close friend, ASTRI would not have approved the procurements in question.
ASTRI has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Tuesday.
Lau Man-kin, 49, Research & Development Director of ASTRI, faces a charge of MIPO, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear at the Shatin Magistracy next Tuesday (April 2) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by ASTRI. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.
At the material time, the defendant was a Research & Development Director of ASTRI, a public body set up by the Government in 2000. He was appointed by ASTRI as the project coordinator of three research and development projects which received funding totalling over $9.4 million from the Innovation and Technology Fund established by the Government and managed by the Innovation and Technology Commission.
The charge alleges that between March 1, 2016 and October 30, 2017, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to his public office, without reasonable excuse or justification, wilfully misconducted himself by:
(i) falsely declaring to ASTRI that he did not have a conflict of interest with the recommended vendors when he endorsed seven procurements conducted by ASTRI between August 2016 and October 2017, in which quotations issued in the name of Globalactive Technology Limited (Globalactive) and Broadlearning Education (Asia) Limited (Broadlearning Asia) were submitted to ASTRI in support of the seven procurements;
(ii) failing to declare to ASTRI the shareholdings his wife held in Globalactive and Golden Commence Limited (Golden Commence) when he endorsed the seven procurements;
(iii) failing to declare to ASTRI his close personal relationship with the director of Broadlearning Asia when he endorsed the seven procurements; and
(iv) thereby benefiting himself, his wife and the director of Broadlearning Asia.
ICAC enquiries revealed that in the seven procurements the defendant had endorsed the issue of over $535,000 worth of purchase orders for computer hardware and software to Globalactive and Broadlearning Asia, of which the defendant’s wife had financial interests, either in her name or through Golden Commence.
Had ASTRI known that Globalactive or Broadlearning Asia was directly or indirectly owned by or under the control of the defendant, his wife or his close friend, ASTRI would not have approved the procurements in question.
ASTRI has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Tuesday.