A former supplier of plastic raw materials, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) convicted at the District Court of offering illegal rebates totalling $186,000 to a former purchasing staff of a toys company in return for orders.

The defendant, 36, was found guilty of one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

Judge Stanley Chan adjourned sentencing to July 5, pending a background report and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The court heard that between April 2006 and April 2008, the defendant had offered a total of $186,000 to a purchasing manger of a toys company for the latter to place orders with him.

The defendant was formerly employed by another plastic raw material supplier to the toys company, with which the said manger had continued to place orders through the defendant between 1998 and 2006.

On one occasion in 2006, the defendant told the said manager that he had set up his own company with his friends, and offered to give illegal rebates to the said manager if she agreed to place orders with his company. The manager agreed to the offer.

The court heard that since then, the manager had marked up the unit prices of plastic materials, by $0.1 to $0.7 per kilogram, whenever the defendant gave her a quotation.

After receiving payments from the toys company, the defendant deducted the actual price of the goods and returned the differences either by cash or deposits into the said manager's bank accounts, the court was told.

The toys company prohibited its employees from soliciting or accepting advantages in relation to the company's business.

The said manager, also charged by the ICAC, had earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of agent accepting advantages and one of theft. She was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Beney Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Dickson Liang.