Three months’ jail for consultancy employee admitting bribery over renovation projects of two Japanese chain stores

An employee of a design consultancy, charged by the ICAC, was today (July 30) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts for accepting bribes of over $230,000 for assisting works contractors to secure 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), earlier 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.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai remarked that the court took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment, and reduced the jail term to three months, having considered the defendant’s guilty plea, her background report and repayment of the amount of bribes involved in the present case to her former employer.

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

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 Donki and “Tokyo Lifestyle”.

Pang was assigned by KCL to assist Donki in arranging a tender exercise. She 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.

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

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

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

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Zacky Chan.