Turning a blind eye
Bruce, a chief chef at a hotel, was responsible for managing supplier performance and inspecting food quality. Bob was one of the frozen meat suppliers for Bruce’s hotel.
Recently, Bob purchased a batch of substandard frozen meat to cut costs, which was set to be delivered to Bruce’s hotel. Upon delivery, Bruce discovered the poor quality of the food. To cover up the issue, Bob offered Bruce a substantial sum of money to turn a blind eye to the quality problem and acknowledge receipt of the goods. Since Bob’s company was a long-standing hotel supplier, Bruce accepted Bob’s generous offer and let him pass. Later, because of the increasing number of complaints about the food quality, Bruce had no choice but to dispose of the entire batch, resulting in significant financial loss for the hotel.
It is an offence under Section 9 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) for any agent, without the permission of his principal, to accept any advantage as an inducement to or reward for him to abuse his authority in relation to his principal’s affairs or business.
Bruce, as the chief chef of the hotel, is regarded as an agent. He might breach Section 9 of the POBO for accepting money from Bob for turning a blind eye to the substandard food quality without the permission of the hotel. Bob might also commit an offence for offering bribes.
Bruce’s unethical behaviour constituted a serious breach of his employer’s trust and caused unfairness to other suppliers and customers. Moreover, substandard food quality might also jeopardise food safety if not properly addressed.
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