A former member of the North District Council (NDC) and his wife were today (Wednesday) charged by the ICAC for fraud in relation to false claims of councillor assistants' salaries over $730,000 over a period of five years.

The former NDC member (D1), 58, and his wife (D2), 36, were jointly charged with seven counts of fraud.

They will appear at Fanling Magistracy at 9:30 am on Friday (June 12).

The case arose from a corruption complaint. ICAC inquiries revealed the alleged offences.

Four of the charges allege that between January 1, 2002 and November 30, 2007, the defendants had falsely represented that D1 had paid his councillor assistant a monthly salary ranging from $4,000 to $10,000.

The remaining three charges allege that between September 1, 2003 and November 30, 2007, the defendants had made false representations that D1 had paid another councillor assistant a monthly salary ranging from $2,500 to $7,000.

It is alleged that the defendants, by making the false representations and with intent to defraud, induced the HKSARG to reimburse Operating Expenses Allowance totalling $737,000 to D1.

ICAC investigations revealed that D1 allegedly paid a total of $137,500 only to the two councillor assistants during the concerned period.

The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Friday.