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Corruption unacceptable in any way, shape or form

The jailing of a mainland businessman for offering a bottle of perfume to a bank officer underlines Hong Kong’s zero tolerance of graft

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The HSBC assistant manager was given a HK$1,350 gift from the mainland businessman after the bank had queried his business and asked for more supporting documents before approving his account application. Photo: Bloomberg

Greasing someone’s palm is pretty much the norm when you want to win favours or get around bureaucracy on the mainland. But when the same is practised in a place with zero tolerance for corruption such as Hong Kong, the price to pay can be high. The six-month jail term for a mainland businessman who offered a bottle of Chanel No 5 perfume to a bank officer while applying to open an account underlines the city’s determination to crackdown on corruption. The court heard that 44-year-old Chen Zhengxi was trying to “befriend” an HSBC assistant manager with the HK$1,350 gift, after the bank had queried his business and asked for more supporting documents before approving his application.

If the incident had happened on the mainland, it likely would not have raised eyebrows. Luxury gifts and lavish banquets are often part and parcel of networking among businesses and officialdom.

The businessman argued he only tried to “befriend” the HSBC employee with a gift of Chanel No. 5
The businessman argued he only tried to “befriend” the HSBC employee with a gift of Chanel No. 5
Some parents even send expensive gifts to teachers and principals in return for better care for their children at school. Thanks tothe recent anti-corruption drive, led by President Xi Jinping, the situation has somewhat been brought under control.
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