Ex-chefs of lunchbox supplier charged with false attendance wage fraud
2019-9-23
Two former part-time chefs of a lunchbox supplier for local schools have been charged today (September 23) by the ICAC in separate cases for respectively conspiring with a head chef to defraud the company of wages totalling over $11,000 by falsifying their attendance records.
Lo Tsan-pang, 60, and Chan Wai-sing, 42, both former part-time chefs of Macy’s Food and Services Limited (MFS), each faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
They will appear at the Shatin Magistracy on Wednesday (September 25) for plea in two cases.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Lo and Chan were part-time chefs working at a central kitchen of MFS, which supplied lunchboxes to local schools. A head chef was responsible for overseeing the operation of the kitchen and arranging work schedule for chefs, including Lo and Chan.
Timecards were used to record attendance of chefs, who did not have any fixed working hours. Wages of part-time chefs were calculated on a daily basis.
In the first case, the charge against Lo alleges that between March 1 and September 6, 2017, Lo conspired with the MFS head chef to defraud the company by dishonestly falsely representing that he was on work duty on dates specified when in fact he was not, and inducing MFS to pay wages to Lo for the dates concerned.
It is alleged that the wages concerned amounted to about $7,000.
In the second case, the charge against Chan alleges that between July 1 and August 4, 2017, Chan conspired with the MFS head chef to defraud the company by dishonestly falsely representing that he was on work duty on dates specified when in fact he was not, and inducing MFS to pay wages to Chan for the dates concerned.
It is alleged that the wages concerned amounted to over $4,500.
MFS has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Wednesday.
Lo Tsan-pang, 60, and Chan Wai-sing, 42, both former part-time chefs of Macy’s Food and Services Limited (MFS), each faces one count of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
They will appear at the Shatin Magistracy on Wednesday (September 25) for plea in two cases.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, Lo and Chan were part-time chefs working at a central kitchen of MFS, which supplied lunchboxes to local schools. A head chef was responsible for overseeing the operation of the kitchen and arranging work schedule for chefs, including Lo and Chan.
Timecards were used to record attendance of chefs, who did not have any fixed working hours. Wages of part-time chefs were calculated on a daily basis.
In the first case, the charge against Lo alleges that between March 1 and September 6, 2017, Lo conspired with the MFS head chef to defraud the company by dishonestly falsely representing that he was on work duty on dates specified when in fact he was not, and inducing MFS to pay wages to Lo for the dates concerned.
It is alleged that the wages concerned amounted to about $7,000.
In the second case, the charge against Chan alleges that between July 1 and August 4, 2017, Chan conspired with the MFS head chef to defraud the company by dishonestly falsely representing that he was on work duty on dates specified when in fact he was not, and inducing MFS to pay wages to Chan for the dates concerned.
It is alleged that the wages concerned amounted to over $4,500.
MFS has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Wednesday.