Unexpected windfall
Queenie owned a trading company and her frequent overseas trips to source products had made airfare a significant operational expense. One day, she approached her friend Quinton, who worked as a ground staff for an airline company, hoping he could use his employee benefits to purchase cheaper tickets for her. In return, she promised to pay him 30% of the price difference as commissions.
Quinton, facing financial difficulties due to failed investments, saw this as an opportunity to earn extra money and alleviate his financial pressure. He also did not want to jeopardise his friendship with Queenie. Quinton quickly agreed to Queenie’s request. Subsequently, Quinton nominated Queenie as his travel companion for trips to Europe, using his employee discount to purchase multiple flight tickets for her.
Airline staff should stand firm in resisting temptations. Quinton, a staff member of an airline company, is regarded as an agent. If he, without the permission of his principal, i.e. the airline company, accepted advantages for abusing his staff privilege of nominating Queenie as a travel companion, he might contravene Section 9 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO). Queenie, who offered the advantage, might also be guilty of an offence under the POBO. Quinton should adhere to the company guidelines regarding the nomination of travel companions and not abuse his staff privilege for personal gain.
Quinton’s illegal acts could be attributed to his investment failure and poor financial management, which made him susceptible to financial temptations. Ultimately, he resorted to taking risks to alleviate his financial burdens. Employees should always exercise financial prudence and avoid engaging in high-risk investments or gambling activities to prevent falling into corruption traps.
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