A former trader at the Royal Bank of Scotland who created false records to hide losses of more than HK$200 million cited the notorious Nick Leeson case in her plea for leniency yesterday.
Shirlina Tsang Pui-yu, 42, who earlier pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, said her offence was much less serious than the Leeson scandal.
British trader Leeson spun a web of deceit to fool Barings auditors and the Singapore International Monetary Exchange, including falsifying documents.
The £827 million (HK$9.9 billion) hole he dug caused the collapse of Barings investment bank, defence lawyer Edwin Choy told the District Court.
He fled Singapore but was extradited to face trial and eventually jailed for 61/2 years in 1996.
Tsang cancelled and amended the prices of her transactions between mid-2010 and October 14, 2011.
Choy said Tsang was authorised to invest for the bank and her employer would bear any losses she generated. She committed the offence at a time when the market was not in her favour, he said.