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Clifford Lo

Vivienne Chow

Top TVB executive and showbiz personality Stephen Chan Chi-wan  was yesterday charged with corruption and conspiracy to defraud along with his former assistant and another senior executive of the broadcaster.
A string of television stars have been caught up in the case.
The two other defendants are the 51-year-old TVB general manager's former personal assistant, Tseng Pei-kun,  28, director of Idea Empire Advertising and Production Company  (IEAP), and Wilson Chan Wing-shuen,  63, head of TVB business development in the marketing and sales division.
Six months after they were arrested, the three were charged after they reported back to the headquarters of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in North Point. They were released on bail. 
Chan, who hosted the popular TVB Pay Vision's talk show Be My Guest, faced over a hundred reporters and photographers on his way out of the building at about 4.30pm. 
Mobbed by the media, Chan said: 'I know you have a lot of questions, but I will come out again at an appropriate time to answer questions appropriately.' 
Chan did not elaborate on when  that time would be, nor respond to any questions.
The three accused are due to appear in Eastern Court on Tuesday.
Stephen Chan and Tseng face two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept bribes. The ICAC said Chan and Tseng each also face two alternative charges of an agent accepting a bribe and offering a bribe.
The alleged offences took place between July of last year and January this year.
'[Stephen] Chan and Tseng conspired for [Stephen] Chan to accept a total of about HK$127,000 from IEAP,' the ICAC said.
'In return, Chan was said to have participated or performed in an event and a show, which were related to TVB's business or affairs.'
Oliver Davies, a barrister representing Tseng, said that one of the charges involved the programme Be My Guest at the New Year's Eve countdown at the Olympian City shopping centre in 2010. It is alleged that Tseng offered Chan HK$112,000. 
Another charge involved an event at the Venetian Macao Resort.  
Another charge alleges that Stephen Chan and Tseng conspired to defraud TVB and TVB artistes between January and February of this year. 
'They are alleged to have falsely represented that the attendance of the artistes at an event was to show support to [Stephen] Chan for the release of his book,' it said. 'They however concealed and did not disclose the fact that the event was arranged by IEAP under sponsorship from a business corporation, with an obligation to invite artistes to attend the event.' 
According to Davies, TVB artistes Charmaine Sheh Sze-man,  Tavia Yeung Yi,  Sharon Chan Man-chi,  Skye Chan Sin-yeung  and Shirley Yeung Sze-kay  were allegedly required to attend the launch of a book by Stephen Chan at Olympian City. 
Tseng's company was allegedly paid HK$300,000 commission in a show tied to MaBelle Jewellery,  which declined to comment on the case.
The remaining charge alleges that Tseng and Wilson Chan conspired to defraud TVB between September and December 2009. 
They are alleged to have misappropriated a total of HK$550,000 from HK$$5.2 million due and payable to TVB from a business corporation under a commercial contract, by falsely creating a service agreement between TVB and IEAP whereby TVB was to pay HK$550,000 to IEAP.
Davies said this involved a contract involving Melco Crown. It is alleged money went through Tseng's company and that he kept HK$550,000.
The three men were arrested on suspicion of graft in March along with TVB executive producer Wilson Chin Kwok-wai  and TVB performer Leung Chi-cheong  (whose stage name is Ning Jin).  
Bail conditions for Leung and Chin were lifted in August. Chin quit TVB in July. 
A TVB spokeswoman said that both Stephen and Wilson Chan remained suspended from duty but she declined to comment on the case. 
'It is inappropriate to make any comment as the case now involves legal proceedings,' she said.
TVB did not comment on the artists named by Tseng's lawyer, but admitted they were all managed by the station.
Conspiracy probe
Two of the accused are alleged to have defrauded TVB of, in HK dollars: $550,000



TVB executives charged in bribery and fraud inquiry