Ex-senior executive of aircraft management service company charged with HK$1.3m bribery and HK$1.7m service payment fraud
2020-6-17
A then deputy chief operating officer of an aircraft management service company has been charged by the ICAC today (June 17) with bribery involving around HK$1.3 million and conspiracy to submit false invoices to deceive about HK$1.7 million service payments.
Tham Chun-fung, 36, then deputy chief operating officer of Lily Jet (Hong Kong) Limited (Lily Jet), faces eight charges – five of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); one of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance; and two of conspiracy to furnish false information, contrary to Section 19(1)(b) of the Theft Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Friday (June 19) for the case to be transferred to the District Court for plea.
Lily Jet is an aircraft management service company providing aircraft management services to private aircraft owners. At the material time, the defendant was the deputy chief operating officer of Lily Jet responsible for engaging ground service providers for Lily Jet’s clients and approving service payments to ground service providers.
Meanwhile, two ground service providers of Lily Jet were owned by a businesswoman.
Five of the bribery charges allege that on five occasions between May 19, 2017 and June 28, 2018, the defendant, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accepted commissions consisting of five sums of money ranging from around US$8,200 (around HK$64,000) to over HK$175,000, totalling over HK$600,000, from the aforesaid businesswoman as an inducement to or reward for him to engage her service for the clients of Lily Jet.
Another bribery charge alleges that between September 1 and October 31, 2018, the defendant conspired together with the businesswoman for him to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept over US$87,000 (over $683,000), as an inducement to or reward for him to assist her to recover outstanding service fees due from a client of Lily Jet.
The defendant further faces one count of conspiracy to furnish false information which alleges that between December 1, 2017 and February 12, 2018, he conspired together with the businesswoman to, in furnishing information for settling payment with her, dishonestly and with a view to gain for themselves or another or with intent to cause loss to another, produce to Lily Jet twelve invoices issued by her, which to their knowledge were misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular in that they purported to show that services fees over US$147,000 (over HK$1.15 million) had been incurred by her for a client of Lily Jet.
The remaining charge alleges that between June 1 and October 31, 2018, the defendant conspired together with the businesswoman to produce to Lily Jet eight invoices issued by her, purportedly showing that service fees totalling over US$72,000 (over HK$560,000) had been incurred by her for a client of Lily Jet by the same fraudulent means.
Lily Jet 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 on Friday.
Tham Chun-fung, 36, then deputy chief operating officer of Lily Jet (Hong Kong) Limited (Lily Jet), faces eight charges – five of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); one of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance; and two of conspiracy to furnish false information, contrary to Section 19(1)(b) of the Theft Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Friday (June 19) for the case to be transferred to the District Court for plea.
Lily Jet is an aircraft management service company providing aircraft management services to private aircraft owners. At the material time, the defendant was the deputy chief operating officer of Lily Jet responsible for engaging ground service providers for Lily Jet’s clients and approving service payments to ground service providers.
Meanwhile, two ground service providers of Lily Jet were owned by a businesswoman.
Five of the bribery charges allege that on five occasions between May 19, 2017 and June 28, 2018, the defendant, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accepted commissions consisting of five sums of money ranging from around US$8,200 (around HK$64,000) to over HK$175,000, totalling over HK$600,000, from the aforesaid businesswoman as an inducement to or reward for him to engage her service for the clients of Lily Jet.
Another bribery charge alleges that between September 1 and October 31, 2018, the defendant conspired together with the businesswoman for him to, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, accept over US$87,000 (over $683,000), as an inducement to or reward for him to assist her to recover outstanding service fees due from a client of Lily Jet.
The defendant further faces one count of conspiracy to furnish false information which alleges that between December 1, 2017 and February 12, 2018, he conspired together with the businesswoman to, in furnishing information for settling payment with her, dishonestly and with a view to gain for themselves or another or with intent to cause loss to another, produce to Lily Jet twelve invoices issued by her, which to their knowledge were misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular in that they purported to show that services fees over US$147,000 (over HK$1.15 million) had been incurred by her for a client of Lily Jet.
The remaining charge alleges that between June 1 and October 31, 2018, the defendant conspired together with the businesswoman to produce to Lily Jet eight invoices issued by her, purportedly showing that service fees totalling over US$72,000 (over HK$560,000) had been incurred by her for a client of Lily Jet by the same fraudulent means.
Lily Jet 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 on Friday.