Property agent charged by ICAC admits bribing supervisor over attendance wage fraud

A property agent, charged by the ICAC, today (September 5) admitted at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts that he had offered bribes to an up-line branch manager for conniving at his prolonged absence from duty and falsifying his attendance records to defraud a property agency of salary payments totalling over $58,000.

Wong Man-pan, 31, former property agent of Midland Realty International Limited (Midland Realty), pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and two counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.

Magistrate Miss Lau Suk-han remanded Wong in the custody of the Correctional Services Department, pending his background report and community service order report for sentence on September 19.

At the material time, Wong was a property agent of a branch of Midland Realty in Tseung Kwan O under the supervision of an up-line branch manager. All property agents of Midland Realty were required to clock their attendance at the workplace by electronic means. Branch managers were required to report to their supervisors any unusual absences of their subordinates.

The court heard that between late May and late December 2021, Wong and the branch manager had falsely represented to Midland Realty the attendance records of Wong so as to defraud the company of salary payments totalling over $58,000. After receiving the salary payments, Wong offered a few thousand dollars per month to the branch manager for conniving at his absence from duty. During the period, Wong paid bribes in the total sum of $38,000.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that at the material time, Wong had worked as a full-time waiter at a restaurant and had only worked in Midland Realty for a few days.

Wong further admitted to the court that between late June 2021 and mid-July 2022, he and the branch manager had falsely represented to Midland Realty that he had handled the sale and purchase transaction of a private residential property in Sha Tin so as to deceive Midland Realty into overpaying them commissions totalling over $22,000. But ICAC enquiries revealed that Wong had no involvement in the property sales transaction.

Co-defendant Leung Kit, 32, branch manager of Midland Realty, today pleaded not guilty to one count of fraud. The case was scheduled for a pre-trial review on October 14.

Midland Realty rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Rani Chau.