Property vendor sentenced for offering bribe to estate agent for waiving agency commission

One of the two property vendors, charged by the ICAC for offering a $30,000 bribe to an estate agent for waiving a $155,000 agency commission in relation to the sale of a residential property, was sentenced today (July 3) after entering a guilty plea at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts. The other vendor earlier also pleaded guilty to the charge.

Tse Wai-ling, 35, today pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. She was sentenced by Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years, and fined $5,000.

Leung Kee-ming, 48, was earlier sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years, and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to the above charge of offering an advantage to an agent.

The court heard that at the material time, Leung engaged Centaline Property Agency Limited (Centaline Property) to sell a residential flat on Lantau Island. According to the estate agency agreement signed with Centaline Property, Leung agreed to pay one per cent of the property transaction sum as agency commission to Centaline Property upon successful transaction.

After subsequently securing a potential buyer for the flat, an estate agent of Centaline Property informed Leung that an offer of $15.5 million had been made. Pursuant to the estate agency agreement, Leung was required to pay an agency commission of $155,000 to Centaline Property upon successful completion of the transaction. The estate agent subsequently arranged for the two vendors and the buyer to sign a preliminary sale and purchase agreement (the preliminary agreement) on December 24, 2023.

Tse admitted that she offered a bribe of $30,000 to the estate agent on December 23, 2023, one day before the scheduled signing of the preliminary agreement, to waive the agency commission to be charged by Centaline Property for the property transaction.

The estate agent rejected the bribe and reported the matter to Centaline Property on the same day. Centaline Property rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Gigi Ng.