Nineteen people have been charged for alleged fraud in relation to the bidding of cooked food stalls at Tai Po Hui Market. They will appear in Fanling Magistracy tomorrow to face conspiracy to defraud charges.

In 2004, all cooked food stall tenants and their appointed assistants in Tai Po Temporary Market were required to move to the new Tai Po Hui Market in Heung Sze Wui Street. They were given priority to bid for the stalls in the new market at a restricted auction.

Between June and July 2004, the defendants allegedly pre-allotted the stalls at the new market prior to the auction, and agreed not to bid against one another.

As a result, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department believed there was only one bid offered at the upset price for each of the cooked food stalls and rented the stalls at the upset prices to the defendants or their representatives.