Ex-senior baker admits bribery and fraud over false attendance at work
2020-5-12
A former senior baker, charged by the ICAC, admitted at the Shatin Magistracy today (May 12) that he had conspired with a supervisor to defraud the bakery of wages totalling over $20,400 by falsifying his attendance records and offering bribes totalling over $19,000 to the supervisor.
Yip Ka-lun, 28, former senior baker of A-1 Bakery Co., (HK) Limited (A-1 Bakery), pleaded guilty to two charges – one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law, and one of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Daniel Tang Siu-hung adjourned the case to June 23 for mention and granted the defendant bail.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was employed by A-1 Bakery as a senior baker posted to work at a baking factory in Shatin under the supervision of a senior supervisor to make bread during night shifts.
Staff members working at the baking factory were required to tap their staff cards on a card reader when reporting on and off duty to record their attendance.
The defendant’s attendance records showed that he reported duty on 39 occasions between January 2017 and February 2019 when in fact he was not in Hong Kong.
A-1 Bakery subsequently paid wages totalling over $20,400 to the defendant.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that since January 2017, he had asked the abovementioned senior supervisor to help report his attendance by tapping his staff card when he was absent from work due to family matters and other reasons.
Time card records of the defendant and the senior supervisor revealed that they reported on and off duty at the same time on most of the aforementioned 39 occasions, the court heard.
The defendant admitted that he paid $19,800 in total to the senior supervisor for helping him tap his staff card when he was absent from work.
Meanwhile, Kenny Tang Chi-wai, 32, former senior team leader of bakers of A-1 Bakery, also appeared at the Shatin Magistracy in a separate case today after being charged by the ICAC for his alleged role in a similar false attendance scam.
Tang did not enter a plea to two charges – one of conspiracy to defraud and one of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent. His case was adjourned to June 23 for mention. He was granted bail.
A-1 Bakery had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Alchian Poon.
Yip Ka-lun, 28, former senior baker of A-1 Bakery Co., (HK) Limited (A-1 Bakery), pleaded guilty to two charges – one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law, and one of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Daniel Tang Siu-hung adjourned the case to June 23 for mention and granted the defendant bail.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was employed by A-1 Bakery as a senior baker posted to work at a baking factory in Shatin under the supervision of a senior supervisor to make bread during night shifts.
Staff members working at the baking factory were required to tap their staff cards on a card reader when reporting on and off duty to record their attendance.
The defendant’s attendance records showed that he reported duty on 39 occasions between January 2017 and February 2019 when in fact he was not in Hong Kong.
A-1 Bakery subsequently paid wages totalling over $20,400 to the defendant.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that since January 2017, he had asked the abovementioned senior supervisor to help report his attendance by tapping his staff card when he was absent from work due to family matters and other reasons.
Time card records of the defendant and the senior supervisor revealed that they reported on and off duty at the same time on most of the aforementioned 39 occasions, the court heard.
The defendant admitted that he paid $19,800 in total to the senior supervisor for helping him tap his staff card when he was absent from work.
Meanwhile, Kenny Tang Chi-wai, 32, former senior team leader of bakers of A-1 Bakery, also appeared at the Shatin Magistracy in a separate case today after being charged by the ICAC for his alleged role in a similar false attendance scam.
Tang did not enter a plea to two charges – one of conspiracy to defraud and one of conspiracy to offer advantages to an agent. His case was adjourned to June 23 for mention. He was granted bail.
A-1 Bakery had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Alchian Poon.