IRD deputy commissioner guilty of housing fraud
2000-12-14
A deputy commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and her husband, charged by the ICAC for allegedly deceiving the Hong Kong Government over application for Private Tenancy Allowance, were found guilty at the District Court today (Thursday).
Agnes Sin Law Yuk-lin, Deputy Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Sin Kam-chuen, Senior Civil Engineer of the Civil Engineering Department, both aged 53, were each granted cash bail of $50,000. Judge Pang adjourned the case to next Monday (December 18) fo r sentence.
The deputy commissioner was today convicted of one count of using a document which contained a false, erroneous or defective statement, with intent to deceive the Government, under Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Her husband Sin Kam-chuen was found guilty of one count of aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring his wife to commit the above offence.
The court heard that in June 1983, Agnes Sin, then a Chief Assessor of IRD, applied for Private Tenancy Allowance (PTA) in relation to a property at Flat A, 11th Floor, Block 7, Provident Centre, Wharf Road, Hong Kong.
She was said to have submitted an Application for Private Tenancy Allowance to the Government, falsely representing that the leased property at the above address was not owned by herself, and/or any member of her or her spouse's families.
She also claimed in the statement that neither she, nor any member of her or her spouse's families had a financial interest in the said property.
The court heard that the property was in fact, owned by Takestep Co. Ltd. (Takestep), a shelf company in which Sin Kam-chuen had a financial interest.
The court was also told that the defendants had arranged to exchange the shares of Takestep with those of Rocksona Trading Co. (HK) Ltd. (Rocksona), which held another property at Provident Centre.
The court heard that Rocksona was owned by another couple, one of whom was then an IRD staff eligible for PTA.
The two couples had purported to cross-own the two companies in order to claim PTA for properties respectively owned by themselves.
With the false representations, Agnes Sin had obtained Private Tenancy Allowance totalling $335,650 in 37 months , the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Rebecca Li.
Agnes Sin Law Yuk-lin, Deputy Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Sin Kam-chuen, Senior Civil Engineer of the Civil Engineering Department, both aged 53, were each granted cash bail of $50,000. Judge Pang adjourned the case to next Monday (December 18) fo r sentence.
The deputy commissioner was today convicted of one count of using a document which contained a false, erroneous or defective statement, with intent to deceive the Government, under Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Her husband Sin Kam-chuen was found guilty of one count of aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring his wife to commit the above offence.
The court heard that in June 1983, Agnes Sin, then a Chief Assessor of IRD, applied for Private Tenancy Allowance (PTA) in relation to a property at Flat A, 11th Floor, Block 7, Provident Centre, Wharf Road, Hong Kong.
She was said to have submitted an Application for Private Tenancy Allowance to the Government, falsely representing that the leased property at the above address was not owned by herself, and/or any member of her or her spouse's families.
She also claimed in the statement that neither she, nor any member of her or her spouse's families had a financial interest in the said property.
The court heard that the property was in fact, owned by Takestep Co. Ltd. (Takestep), a shelf company in which Sin Kam-chuen had a financial interest.
The court was also told that the defendants had arranged to exchange the shares of Takestep with those of Rocksona Trading Co. (HK) Ltd. (Rocksona), which held another property at Provident Centre.
The court heard that Rocksona was owned by another couple, one of whom was then an IRD staff eligible for PTA.
The two couples had purported to cross-own the two companies in order to claim PTA for properties respectively owned by themselves.
With the false representations, Agnes Sin had obtained Private Tenancy Allowance totalling $335,650 in 37 months , the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Alex Lee, assisted by ICAC officer Rebecca Li.