9 arrested in listed company graft probe
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-07-13 08:39

Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested nine people, including two senior executives of a publicly listed company, for alleged corruption in relation to the placement and purchase of the company's shares.

According to a Monday's government press release, more than HK$1.5 million (US$192,000) in suspected bribe money was also seized.

Local media revealed the company as Semtech International Holdings Limited.

The operation, which began on July 9, also saw the arrests of abank's senior director, a managing director of a division of a brokerage firm, two securities companies' research analysts, a securities company's senior sales manager, a listed company's secretary, and one other individual.

ICAC inquiries revealed that the listed company's senior executives had allegedly offered bribes as rewards for the bank's senior director to purchase 6 million shares during the company's share placement earlier this month.

The company's senior executives were also alleged to have bribed the brokerage firm's managing director for purchasing 5 million shares last month.

It was alleged that the listed company's senior executives had also offered bribes to two research analysts of two securities companies for writing favorable reports on the listed company.

All the arrested have been released on ICAC bail. Inquiries arecontinuing.