Updated at 7.02pm: Former tobacco executive Jerry Lui Kin-hong has failed to have his three years and eight months sentence reduced, the Court of Appeal ruled on Friday.
The three appeal judges also ordered Lui to pay $11.25 million in reparations - landing him with a total bill of $21.25 million to be paid to Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation and British-American Tobacco Company (HK) Ltd.
Lui, 43, former export director for British American Tobacco (HK) Ltd, was found guilty of plotting to receive $23.5 million in bribes to ensure the firm Giant Island, which caters for the mainland market, had huge quantities of duty-free BAT cigarettes from BAT earmarked for it.
In June 1998, He was fined $500,000 and ordered to pay $11 million in prosecution costs and $10 million in restitution by Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen.
But the appeal court on Friday quashed the costs order and said the prosecution costs should be assessed by a High Court Master.