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Money Trail

The Web of Accounts

The former government counsel uses various means to transfer his bribe money overseas.

1
London, UK
London, UK

Using an account to draw money from Taiwan to -

  • Transfer to his family via a bank account of a Taiwan lawyer
  • Transfer to an account in Hong Kong before transferring to other overseas accounts
2
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
  • Transferring money to his mother’s bank account in Singapore and his family in New Zealand
  • Buying gold using money transferred back from Singapore and Taiwan
  • Transferring money from a London account through a Hong Kong account to the bank accounts of relatives in the UK, Australia and New Zealand
  • Transferring money from a London account through a Hong Kong account to trust funds in Vanuatu
3
Taiwan
Taiwan

Drawing money from a bank account, under his mother’s name, in Singapore to -

  • Buy gold in Hong Kong to sell in Taiwan
  • Transfer money to New Zealand via a bank account of a Hong Kong lawyer
  • Transfer funds to Hong Kong via a bank account in London
  • Transfer funds to a lawyer in Taiwan via a Hong Kong account
  • Keep a trust account controlled by the partner of another lawyer
4
Australia
Australia
  • Keeping the money transferred from a Hong Kong account in his sister-in-law's accounts
5
Vanuatu, Pacific
Vanuatu, Pacific
  • Keeping the money transferred from a Hong Kong account in his sister-in-law's accounts
6
New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Transferring money to his family in New Zealand
  • Keeping money in the bank accounts of his family and relatives in various parts of the country
  • Investing in an orchard business
  • Buying three lots of land in Tauranga

The lllicit Account

The former government counsel earned around HK$4.8 million in emoluments in his 15years’ service with the then Legal Department. He began accepting bribes when his fruit orchard business started to fail. How did he amass more than HK$16 million? How much bribe money was involved?

Deposits and Assets (valued in 1990 price) Value of Deposits & Assets in Hong Kong Dollars Value of Deposits & Assets in New Zealand Dollars
Deposits controlled by the defendant in the names of his relatives and Berry Export: 11,620,100 2,430,983
Orchard, land and property held: 4,547,697 951,403
Total: 16,167,797 3,382,384
Deducting the loans and savings from his official emoluments: 3,754,047 785,366
Assets in excess of his official emoluments:
(Official income: HK$4.8 million for 15 years of service in the government)		 12,415,901 2,597,469

*Calculated at the 1990 exchange rate of NZ$1 = HK$4.78

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