Three former Trade Development Council sales executives have been charged for allegedly obtaining commissions by fraudulent means in relation to advertisement placement in the council's publications.

Simon Ng, 32, Lee Kam-wing, 26, and George Leung, 24, all formerly of the council's Publications Department, will appear in Eastern Magistracy on April 11 on four alleged offences - two of conspiracy to defraud and two of fraud.

The three allegedly falsely represented that six advertisement order contracts had been secured by them, thereby deceiving the council into paying them commissions.

Independent Commission Against Corruption investigations found the council was misled into paying over $9,700 in commissions to the defendants between April and December 2003.