One year's jail for former LLB chairman
2003-12-18
The former chairman of the Liquor Licensing Board (LLB), charged by the ICAC, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment at District Court for misconduct in public office this (Thursday) morning.
Wong Hon-ching San Stephen, 51, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office under the Common Law.
In sentencing, Judge Alan Wright said the most serious feature in respect of the charge was that it involved a perversion of the office held by the defendant, as it displayed a substantial and corrupt deviation from the fidelity which was required and exp ected of a person in that position.
"The community as a whole has a real and vested interest in ensuring that the conduct of those who hold substantial public position is beyond reproach. It also should be made plain that if a person in public office offends he will not receive, from the c ourts, any exceptional treatment," the Judge said.
The charge stated that Wong had wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2001 in relation to his public office as LLB chairman, in that he had:
- engaged in discussions with liquor licence applicants and their agents prior to the convening of LLB meetings during which applications of the applicants would be considered;
- caused the liquor licence applicants to believe that their applications might benefit if Catherine Yu Mei-lin was instructed as their legal representative in LLB meetings;
- improperly provided Yu internal documents of LLB, which were confidential in nature;
- failed to act impartially as LLB chairman in providing Yu such documents;
- failed to disclose a conflict between his duty to remain impartial and his interest in maintaining his personal relationship with Yu, at LLB meetings of which he was chairman; and
- failed to abstain from the decision making process in respect of those liquor licence applications before LLB which Yu acted as the applicants' legal representative.
The prosecution was today represented by Graeme Mackay on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Markle Ng.
Wong Hon-ching San Stephen, 51, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office under the Common Law.
In sentencing, Judge Alan Wright said the most serious feature in respect of the charge was that it involved a perversion of the office held by the defendant, as it displayed a substantial and corrupt deviation from the fidelity which was required and exp ected of a person in that position.
"The community as a whole has a real and vested interest in ensuring that the conduct of those who hold substantial public position is beyond reproach. It also should be made plain that if a person in public office offends he will not receive, from the c ourts, any exceptional treatment," the Judge said.
The charge stated that Wong had wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2001 in relation to his public office as LLB chairman, in that he had:
- engaged in discussions with liquor licence applicants and their agents prior to the convening of LLB meetings during which applications of the applicants would be considered;
- caused the liquor licence applicants to believe that their applications might benefit if Catherine Yu Mei-lin was instructed as their legal representative in LLB meetings;
- improperly provided Yu internal documents of LLB, which were confidential in nature;
- failed to act impartially as LLB chairman in providing Yu such documents;
- failed to disclose a conflict between his duty to remain impartial and his interest in maintaining his personal relationship with Yu, at LLB meetings of which he was chairman; and
- failed to abstain from the decision making process in respect of those liquor licence applications before LLB which Yu acted as the applicants' legal representative.
The prosecution was today represented by Graeme Mackay on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Markle Ng.