For those unfamiliar with the graft saga, the ex-Wardley chief exec got HK$2 million in the container of contention.

His lawyer complained that the judge who convicted the crook had 'misstated the evidence' by calling it a 'flight bag' when it was, in fact, 'a plastic shopping bag'.

Somehow, this was to have swung the scales of justice against the money Launder . . . um, money taker.

In the end, the barrister's wig-topped audience said this: 'We have been unable to discover why the judge made this slip in his description of the bag.' A ray of hope! Until . . . 'Equally, we have been unable to discern the importance of it.'

They concluded by saying that it 'ill behoved counsel' to start harping about it at this late stage.

Suffice to say, the case was not in the bag.

Digit fidget: You may not have noticed it, but a warning has popped up on your HSBC statements: 'Customer service representatives will not ask you for your PIN when you make an enquiry'.

Reader Tom Grey believes there's a story behind it that stars bogus coppers, cunning gangsters, missing money and stolen gold.

For Mr Grey, it all began in Central one February afternoon while at lunch with his fiancee. His mobile phone rang, and the caller identified himself as officer PC Wong.

'I've just arrested and searched a beggar who appears to have your wallet,' he said.

A frantic rummage later, Mr Grey discovered that the wallet had vanished. 'Your bank cards are gone,' the so-called PC Wong informed him. Mr Grey dialled the digits he had been told to ring and a voice said 'Hong Kong Bank card centre'.

Once he'd passed on the usual numbers, the voice said 'please give me your PIN number so that I can cancel this immediately'.

He revealed the digits, hung up . . . and suddenly realised that he'd been duped.

By then the crooks had got HK$20,000 in cash, and were on a shopping spree buying HK$100,000 worth of gold on EPS.

The bank says warning customers not to give out their PINs is something they do all the time. The message on the statement was just 'a sort of reminder', it says.

Mr Grey, however, says that he feels he should have been warned sooner.

Whatever, it all goes to show what happens when you ring the Wong number.

Party yawn: Someone just offered Lai See a party invite. In the form of an e-mail attachment, the word 'Invitation' danced enticingly across the top. Sparkly bits flashed around the letters creating a confetti-type effect.

E1 Mix Organising Committee cordially invited us to join the (underlined for emphasis) E1-Mix party.

The action was to happen at Oasis - a swish spot at the New World Harbour View Hotel.

Excellent, thought Lai See, rubbing her hands as she envisaged a debauched evening of wine, music and memory loss.

And special entertainment had been arranged: 'HSBC's chief economist will be our guest of honour speaking about 'The development of IT Economy in the Context of 2001/2002 Budget'.'

Ah. Anyway, Lai See will donate her invite to the Get A Life Club. They haven't had a decent outing since Joseph Yam Chi-kwong stopped conducting those HKMA tours.

Graphic: whee20gbz