Candy Leung Yuen-shan, accounts manager at the TVB sales department, said her former superior and head of business development, Wilson Chan Wing-suen, instructed her in November 2009 to issue an invoice for HK$5.2 million to Idea Empire, run by another of the accused, Edthancy Tseng Pei-kun.
However, when Idea Empire failed to pay, Chan asked Leung to issue another invoice to the personal e-mail of Tseng.
This time it was for HK$4.65 million, or HK$550,000 less, with a payment deadline of December 14, 2009.
The court was told earlier that Melco, the gala sponsor, had agreed to pay TVB HK$5.2 million.
Kwong Siu-kuen, assistant supervisor at the TVB accounting department, found it "strange" when she received the check for HK$4.65 million from Idea Empire in January 2010, since it differed from the earlier invoice of HK$5.2 million.
She later discovered the sales department had acted against normal procedures and reported this to her superior.
Former TVB accountant Katie Lai Siu- yung said yesterday if the company wanted to hire Idea Empire for logistics, a form had to be completed and processed.
She did not handle such an application.
Wilson Chan, 63, and Tseng, 28, both deny misappropriating HK$550,000 from funds due and payable to TVB from Melco.
TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan, 51, denies separate graft charges.
A TVB assistant general manager told the District Court it is "inconceivable" that HK$1.2 million was paid for logistics to an outside company for the broadcaster's anniversary show.
Au Wai-lam was testifying on the 13th day of the corruption trial of TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan, Idea Empire Advertising and Production company director Edthancy Tseng Pei- kun and TVB former head of business development Wilson Chan Wing-suen.
They have pleaded not guilty.
Au said he questioned why the Jade Singers Celebrate TVB Anniversary show was being shot in Macau in late October 2009.
But Wilson Chan said they found a sponsor paying "a big stack of money."
However, crew members complained about the vessel, transportation, hotel and meals for crew and artists, while Melco Crown Entertainment was dissatisfied because it said it did not get value for money for its sponsorship, including "inadequate" shots of the hotel.
Cantopop singer Leo Ku Kui-kei was sent to Macau - with Au's endorsement - to do extra shooting before the show could be aired a month later.
Au then discussed the contract for the show with TVB group general manager Mark Lee Po-on.
They asked Wilson Chan to present the contract in November 2009, but it was not until early January 2010 that Chan handed over a contract involving Melco, TVB and Idea Empire, and a service agreement between TVB and Idea Empire.
Au said he found the two contracts suspicious since the company was not aware of their existence.
TVB received HK$4 million instead of the HK$5.2 million Melco promised to pay.
He was stunned to find Idea Empire would receive altogether HK$1.2 million from two contracts for jobs, mainly for logistics, exceeding the 20 percent ceiling for production costs.
Based on HK$3.2 million production costs, the logistics bill represented 38 percent.
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