Service provider charged by ICAC guilty of abetting HKTDC manager to leak tender information in $2.3m project

A service provider, charged by the ICAC, was convicted today (September 24) at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts of aiding and abetting another person to commit misconduct in public office (MIPO). He had abetted a then assistant manager of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to divulge confidential tender information, which led to the awarding of an online market platform enhancement project worth over $2.3 million. The then HKTDC assistant manager involved in the case was previously sentenced, following her guilty plea.

Chow Hang-yip, 41, director and shareholder of AF Trinity Technologies Limited (ATTL), was found guilty of one count of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission by another person of the offence of MIPO, contrary to the Common Law and section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance.

Magistrate Mr Kestrel Lam Tsz-hong adjourned the case to October 14 for sentencing and granted Chow bail pending a community service order report.

Co-defendant Leung Sui-ying, then Assistant Business Manager, System & Content Development of the HKTDC, pleaded guilty to one count of MIPO at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on November 21, 2025. She was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Between December 2018 and March 2019, the HKTDC conducted an enhancement project for its online market platform – e-Marketplace. Leung was responsible for preparing tender documents and evaluation criteria, as well as identifying service providers. ATTL was one of the service providers invited to bid for the project. It received the highest combined score and was awarded the project, involving payments of over $2.3 million.

Following a corruption complaint, the ICAC launched an investigation and discovered that Chow, a director and shareholder of ATTL, was a friend of Leung. During the bidding process, at the request of Chow, Leung provided him with the contents of tenders submitted by three other service providers, and assisted him in drafting and compiling ATTL’s technical proposal, as well as preparing ATTL’s oral presentation.

The employment contracts and code of conduct of HKTDC staff stipulated that staff members should not disclose any classified information of the HKTDC without authorisation.

The HKTDC rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Stephen Fong, assisted by ICAC officer Gigi Ng.