Then bank employees charged by ICAC admit bribery over account opening

A then bank employee, charged by the ICAC, today (January 22) admitted at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for accepting bribes from intermediaries for assisting clients of the latter to open bank accounts.

Wan Hui, 32, then premier business manager of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.

Magistrate Mr Kestrel Lam Tsz-hong adjourned the case to March 19 for mention. The defendant was granted bail.

The court heard that Wan was posted to a branch of HSBC in North Point at the material time. She reached an agreement with two intermediaries to assist clients referred by them in opening bank accounts at HSBC and accept a reward of RMB500 for each successful application. Between October 2024 and February 2025, Wan assisted 12 clients referred by the couple in opening bank accounts successfully and accepted bribes totalling RMB6,000 on various occasions. Four of these accounts were assessed with money laundering risk by HSBC and were referred to the relevant law enforcement agency for follow up.

No plea was taken when the four co-defendants appeared at court today. Their case was adjourned to March 19 for plea.

The co-defendants were Lo Wing-hang, then insurance specialist of HSBC; Lo Cheuk-kim, then premier relationship manager of HSBC; and Han Jie and his wife, Zhou Yinying, both insurance agents cum intermediaries. They face three counts of charges in total – two of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage and one of offering an advantage to an agent.

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

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Emily Cheung.