Sham Shui Po District Councillor and two others jailed for false claims of expenses
2004-12-31
A member of the Sham Shui Po District Council (SDC) and two other persons, charged by the ICAC, were today (Friday) sentenced to jail terms up to four months at North Kowloon Magistracy for making false claims of reimbursement of expenses totalling about $226,000 from SDC and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD).
Leung Hon-wa, 42, a member of SDC and the chairman of the China Youth Services and Recreation Centre (CYSRC), received a jail term of three months.
Tse Yee-fong, 48, and Jimmy Kong Wing-hong, 43, respectively secretary and treasurer of CYSRC, were each sentenced to four months' imprisonment.
Leung, Tse and Kong, together with co-defendant Chan Tze-yui, 34, vice-chairman of CYSRC, earlier pleaded guilty to a total of seven offences under the Theft Ordinance - one count of conspiracy to furnish false information and six of furnishing false info rmation.
Chan today applied for reversing his guilty plea. His application will be heard on January 24, 2005.
In meting out the custodial sentences to the other three defendants, Magistrate Mr Albert Wong said the offences committed were serious, well planned and lasted for a long period of time.
The magistrate also reprimanded the defendants for having adversely affected the allocation of public funds.
The defendants were earlier arrested by the ICAC during a corruption inquiry.
The court heard that Leung, Tse and Kong, in furnishing information for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at 12 activities organized by CYSRC, had conspired together to dishonestly produce to SDC false or inflated invoices, receipts and cash memoranda.
The false documents purportedly showed that the companies named had provided the respective services or products for the activities, and that the expenses had been incurred at the activities and paid for by CYSRC.
Chan was allegedly a co-conspirator in the scam.
The court also heard that Kong, in furnishing information for an application for reimbursement of expenses incurred at another activity organised by CYSRC, had dishonestly produced to SDC a number of receipts and cash memoranda, which to his knowledge wer e false.
Kong had also furnished false information to FEHD for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at two other activities organised by CYSRC.
The court also heard that Tse had furnished false information to the then chairman of the United Association of Nam Cheong Middle West District and SDC for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at three activities organised by the associatio n.
The false claims made to SDC and FEHD amounted to a total of about $196,000 and $30,000 respectively.
The offences took place between September 1996 and March last year.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Winnie Ho, assisted by ICAC officer Samson Wong.
Leung Hon-wa, 42, a member of SDC and the chairman of the China Youth Services and Recreation Centre (CYSRC), received a jail term of three months.
Tse Yee-fong, 48, and Jimmy Kong Wing-hong, 43, respectively secretary and treasurer of CYSRC, were each sentenced to four months' imprisonment.
Leung, Tse and Kong, together with co-defendant Chan Tze-yui, 34, vice-chairman of CYSRC, earlier pleaded guilty to a total of seven offences under the Theft Ordinance - one count of conspiracy to furnish false information and six of furnishing false info rmation.
Chan today applied for reversing his guilty plea. His application will be heard on January 24, 2005.
In meting out the custodial sentences to the other three defendants, Magistrate Mr Albert Wong said the offences committed were serious, well planned and lasted for a long period of time.
The magistrate also reprimanded the defendants for having adversely affected the allocation of public funds.
The defendants were earlier arrested by the ICAC during a corruption inquiry.
The court heard that Leung, Tse and Kong, in furnishing information for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at 12 activities organized by CYSRC, had conspired together to dishonestly produce to SDC false or inflated invoices, receipts and cash memoranda.
The false documents purportedly showed that the companies named had provided the respective services or products for the activities, and that the expenses had been incurred at the activities and paid for by CYSRC.
Chan was allegedly a co-conspirator in the scam.
The court also heard that Kong, in furnishing information for an application for reimbursement of expenses incurred at another activity organised by CYSRC, had dishonestly produced to SDC a number of receipts and cash memoranda, which to his knowledge wer e false.
Kong had also furnished false information to FEHD for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at two other activities organised by CYSRC.
The court also heard that Tse had furnished false information to the then chairman of the United Association of Nam Cheong Middle West District and SDC for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at three activities organised by the associatio n.
The false claims made to SDC and FEHD amounted to a total of about $196,000 and $30,000 respectively.
The offences took place between September 1996 and March last year.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Winnie Ho, assisted by ICAC officer Samson Wong.