Last defendant jailed for vote-rigging at DC Election (King’s Park Constituency)
2012-12-27
The last defendant charged by the ICAC with vote-rigging at the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong District Council (DC) Election (King’s Park Constituency) was today (Thursday) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistracy.
Sonia Cheung Kwai-yip, 40, unemployed, was earlier found guilty of one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Mr Lee Siu-ho remarked that as elections were the cornerstone of democratic development, offenders of vote-rigging deserved immediate custodial sentences.
Upon the defendant’s application, the deputy magistrate granted her cash bail of $10,000, pending her appeal against conviction and sentence. She was also ordered to surrender her travel documents and not to leave Hong Kong.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, the defendant submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office her application for registration as an elector at the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency).
In her application, the defendant stated that a flat in a building at 27 Yin Chong Street, Mongkok was her only or principal residential address.
The owners and occupants of the address confirmed that they were residing at the address and did not know the defendant. In fact, the defendant resided at a public housing unit outside the constituency.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, the defendant obtained a ballot paper and voted at the election after having given to the electoral officer information that she knew to be materially false or misleading, the court was told.
Co-defendant Lau Ching-ching, 33, salesperson, who earlier pleaded guilty to a similar voting offence, was jailed for two months.
A total of 45 persons, including Cheung and Lau, had been convicted of various offences in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency), including voting-rigging, providing false information in the registration of elector, and conspiracy to defraud. They were given sentences ranging from community service to one year in jail.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jones Tsui, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Lam.
Sonia Cheung Kwai-yip, 40, unemployed, was earlier found guilty of one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Mr Lee Siu-ho remarked that as elections were the cornerstone of democratic development, offenders of vote-rigging deserved immediate custodial sentences.
Upon the defendant’s application, the deputy magistrate granted her cash bail of $10,000, pending her appeal against conviction and sentence. She was also ordered to surrender her travel documents and not to leave Hong Kong.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, the defendant submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office her application for registration as an elector at the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency).
In her application, the defendant stated that a flat in a building at 27 Yin Chong Street, Mongkok was her only or principal residential address.
The owners and occupants of the address confirmed that they were residing at the address and did not know the defendant. In fact, the defendant resided at a public housing unit outside the constituency.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, the defendant obtained a ballot paper and voted at the election after having given to the electoral officer information that she knew to be materially false or misleading, the court was told.
Co-defendant Lau Ching-ching, 33, salesperson, who earlier pleaded guilty to a similar voting offence, was jailed for two months.
A total of 45 persons, including Cheung and Lau, had been convicted of various offences in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency), including voting-rigging, providing false information in the registration of elector, and conspiracy to defraud. They were given sentences ranging from community service to one year in jail.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jones Tsui, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Lam.