Ex-property manager admits false attendance fraud
2019-11-1
A then property manager of a private residential estate, charged by the ICAC, admitted at the Eastern Magistracy today (November 1) that he had defrauded the Incorporated Owners (IO) of the estate of salaries and bonus totalling about $8,500 by falsifying the attendance records of two security guards.
Lee Yiu-kwan, 61, pleaded guilty to two charges – one of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance; and one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law and Section 4(2) of the Criminal Jurisdiction Ordinance.
Principal Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department until November 15, pending background and community service order reports.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the property manager employed by the IO of Westlands Gardens (WG), a private residential estate in Quarry Bay. He was responsible for overseeing WG management office’s daily operation, including recruitment of security guards and verification of their salary payments.
Security guards were required to clock their attendance cards when they reported on and off duty for calculating salary payments and attendance bonuses.
On July 23, 2018, the defendant passed the attendance card of a female night shift security guard to the management office of WG, claiming that she had reported duty a week ago and urged the office to arrange her salary payment of July accordingly.
Relying on the documents submitted by the defendant, the IO of WG issued a cheque of $7,920 to the security guard for her salary payment in July, the court heard.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that the security guard concerned was his wife. He had falsely represented to the IO that his wife had taken up the night shift post, and was on duty between July 16 and 31, 2018 by punching her attendance card.
Upon the request of another night shift security guard who was absent from duty between June 9 and 10, 2018, the defendant falsified the on/off duty time on his attendance card to enable him to keep his salary for the shift and attendance bonus of that month.
The security guard was eventually paid $550 for the absent shift, but not the attendance bonus of $300 of that month.
The IO of WG had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Horace Wong.
Lee Yiu-kwan, 61, pleaded guilty to two charges – one of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance; and one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law and Section 4(2) of the Criminal Jurisdiction Ordinance.
Principal Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department until November 15, pending background and community service order reports.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was the property manager employed by the IO of Westlands Gardens (WG), a private residential estate in Quarry Bay. He was responsible for overseeing WG management office’s daily operation, including recruitment of security guards and verification of their salary payments.
Security guards were required to clock their attendance cards when they reported on and off duty for calculating salary payments and attendance bonuses.
On July 23, 2018, the defendant passed the attendance card of a female night shift security guard to the management office of WG, claiming that she had reported duty a week ago and urged the office to arrange her salary payment of July accordingly.
Relying on the documents submitted by the defendant, the IO of WG issued a cheque of $7,920 to the security guard for her salary payment in July, the court heard.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that the security guard concerned was his wife. He had falsely represented to the IO that his wife had taken up the night shift post, and was on duty between July 16 and 31, 2018 by punching her attendance card.
Upon the request of another night shift security guard who was absent from duty between June 9 and 10, 2018, the defendant falsified the on/off duty time on his attendance card to enable him to keep his salary for the shift and attendance bonus of that month.
The security guard was eventually paid $550 for the absent shift, but not the attendance bonus of $300 of that month.
The IO of WG had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Horace Wong.