Consultancy employee charged by ICAC admits accepting bribes over $25m renovation projects of two Japanese chain stores

An employee of a design consultancy, charged by the ICAC, today (July 7) admitted at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts that she had accepted bribes of over $230,000 for assisting two works contractors to secure two renovation projects of two Japanese chain stores involving project fees totalling over $25 million.

Pian Pang Ka-shin, 41, then marketing executive of K&C Creation Limited (KCL), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage, contrary to sections 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.

Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai adjourned the case to July 21 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report, and granted her bail.

The court heard that KCL was a design consultancy. In 2019, it was awarded two renovation projects respectively concerning a branch of drugstore chain “Tokyo Lifestyle” in Kowloon and the store of supermarket chain “Donki Japan” in Macao.

At the material time, Pang was a marketing executive of KCL responsible for co-ordinating contractors and arranging tender exercises. For the two renovation projects concerned, she was responsible for submitting quotations and tenders to KCL or Donki for selection.

Pang admitted that between June 2019 and January 2022, she had accepted bribes of over $230,000 from three representatives from two works contractors, namely RNK Design and Engineering Company Limited (RNK) and Flaming Engineering Company Limited (FEL), for assisting the trio to secure the renovation projects of “Tokyo Lifestyle” and Donki.

KCL received two quotations from renovation companies in relation to the renovation project of “Tokyo Lifestyle”. KCL awarded relevant works to RNK base on the recommendation of Pang and paid project fee of $1.7 million to RNK after completion of the works.

Also being assigned by KCL to assist Donki in arranging a tender exercise, Pang submitted five tenders for Donki’s selection. Donki eventually awarded the project to FEL and settled project fees totalling over $23.4 million with FEL after the project was completed. Pang admitted that she had given advice to the FEL representative on the relevant tender interview.

RNK and Donki rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

Three co-defendants in the present case, namely Li Po-wa, director cum shareholder of RNK, Pang Wai-yin, former site supervisor of RNK, Yung Chor-chi, operator of FEL, today pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept an advantage at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts. Their case was scheduled for a pre-trial review on November 27.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Hayden Lau.