TVB executive Wilson Chan Wing-shuen ordered a subordinate to issue a new invoice to a client behind the backs of the broadcaster's accountants, reducing a bill for HK$5.2 million to HK$4.65 million, the District Court heard yesterday.
Candy Leung Yuen-shan, an account manager for TVB's marketing and sales department, said Chan, her head of department, told her the balance would be kept by the firm being invoiced, Idea Empire.
Leung was testifying in the fraud and corruption trial of TVB general manger Stephen Chan Chi-wan, 51, his former personal assistant, Edthancy Tseng Pei-kun, 28, and Wilson Chan, 63. They are accused of defrauding the city's biggest television station and its star actresses.
Wilson Chan and Tseng deny conspiring to misappropriate HK$550,000 from TVB by making false representations and concealing a contract. Stephen Chan has denied conspiring with Tseng to receive HK$112,000 in bribes and defrauding the TV station. The pair also deny cheating five actors out of HK$300,000 in commission through a firm owned by Tseng.
Leung said she was told by Wilson Chan that the HK$550,000 kept by Idea Empire, run by Tseng, was for logistics services in organising the TVB All Singers Anniversary Special.
Katie Lai Siu-yung, a former TVB accountant, told the court that normal practice was for invoices to be issued only by the accounts department. Lai found it strange when she received the cheque for the reduced amount from Idea Empire. She had never seen the invoice attached to the cheque, which she believed was issued by the sales department.