ICAC criticised over lack of evidence filed
Anti-graft busters were criticised yesterday for failing to provide the Chinese names of five alleged triad members named in an English document submitted to court yesterday.
The District Court hearing before Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi was adjourned to this morning so the Independent Commission Against Corruption could seek help from other government agencies to find out the Chinese names of the accused, and possibly their nicknames.
The criticism was made by Martin Lee Chu-ming SC and Eric Kwok SC on behalf of their clients, who are accused of conspiracy to swindle more than HK$72 million from China Science Conservational Power (CSCP), a Hong Kong listed company.
Mr Lee said the defence wanted to use the document, provided by the ICAC, to attack the credibility and character of one of the key prosecution witness, Abba Chan Tat-chee, chairman of CSCP, who in 2006 had admitted stealing more than HK$25 million in company funds.
He said the examination could only be made meaningful if the Chinese names of the triads had been provided. Mr Kwok described the failure as 'outrageous'.
Chan, famed for his work as a concert promoter, was accused of having associated with the five, who included senior triad members.
Chan was testifying in the trial of Hon Ming-kong, 41, former chairman of CSCP, Anthony Chow Ho-tung, 48, executive director and financial controller of CSCP, and Kan Lai Lai-kan, 40, an employee of a subsidiary company, Sharpo Solutions. They are accused of pocketing at least HK$25 million from the firm.
