Eleven car testers admit forging roadworthiness certificates
2013-12-30
Eleven former and serving employees of a car testing centre (CTC), who were then approved car testers (ACTs) licensed by the Transport Department (TD) and charged by the ICAC, admitted at the District Court today (Monday) that they had conspired to forge certificates of roadworthiness (CORs) for private cars and light goods vehicles.
Chan Man-po, 42, Leung Wing-fai, 37, Lo Chi-hung, 50, Ma Man-chung, 46, all ACTs of Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited (DCH); Chan Yiu-keung, 50, Tang Siu-kwong, 52, Lee Kin-ming, 46, Leung Chin-hung, 42, Law Kwok-sum, 40, Lam Sik-wa, 49, and C han Chi-wai, 45, all former ACTs of DCH, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to forge documents, contrary to Section 71 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Judge Johnny Chan Jong-herng adjourned the case to March 28 next year for mention. The defendants were granted cash bail of $5,000 each, and ordered not to leave Hong Kong.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants were ACTs of DCH stationed at a CTC in Kowloon Bay, which was appointed by the TD to conduct annual roadworthiness examination for private cars and light goods vehicles.
According to the Road Traffic Ordinance, all private cars of six years or above and light goods vehicles not exceeding 1.9 tonnes are required to undertake the annual roadworthiness examination. A COR will be issued by an ACT on behalf of a CTC for the v ehicle owner to renew the licence of the vehicle.
The court heard that between March 12, 2007 and November 7, 2011, the defendants conspired together with other persons to make false CORs with the intention that the owners of the vehicles should use them to induce the TD to accept them as genuine and ext end the vehicle licences for the vehicles named in those CORs.
When some vehicles presented by various garages were unable to pass the brake or smoke emission tests, the defendants used the results of other vehicles purported to be the test results of the failed vehicles. Some of the defendants dispensed with the vi sual inspection or ignored any visual defects, while other defendants even passed the tests for vehicles they had not even seen and no test was conducted by them.
The defendants also agreed to adopt a more lax attitude and pass the vehicles sent by garages in order to obtain more businesses, the court heard.
According to the Annual Report of TD, the number of vehicles conducted roadworthiness examination at the CTC of DCH in Kowloon Bay increased from 25,553 in 2007 to 34,837 in 2011, the court heard.
During the five-year period, the CTC conducted a total of 155,230 roadworthiness examination, with the passing rate maintained at around 91 to 94 per cent annually, the court was told.
The TD and the management of the DCH had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Wong Po-wing, assisted by ICAC officer Eastman Tang.
Chan Man-po, 42, Leung Wing-fai, 37, Lo Chi-hung, 50, Ma Man-chung, 46, all ACTs of Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited (DCH); Chan Yiu-keung, 50, Tang Siu-kwong, 52, Lee Kin-ming, 46, Leung Chin-hung, 42, Law Kwok-sum, 40, Lam Sik-wa, 49, and C han Chi-wai, 45, all former ACTs of DCH, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to forge documents, contrary to Section 71 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Judge Johnny Chan Jong-herng adjourned the case to March 28 next year for mention. The defendants were granted cash bail of $5,000 each, and ordered not to leave Hong Kong.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendants were ACTs of DCH stationed at a CTC in Kowloon Bay, which was appointed by the TD to conduct annual roadworthiness examination for private cars and light goods vehicles.
According to the Road Traffic Ordinance, all private cars of six years or above and light goods vehicles not exceeding 1.9 tonnes are required to undertake the annual roadworthiness examination. A COR will be issued by an ACT on behalf of a CTC for the v ehicle owner to renew the licence of the vehicle.
The court heard that between March 12, 2007 and November 7, 2011, the defendants conspired together with other persons to make false CORs with the intention that the owners of the vehicles should use them to induce the TD to accept them as genuine and ext end the vehicle licences for the vehicles named in those CORs.
When some vehicles presented by various garages were unable to pass the brake or smoke emission tests, the defendants used the results of other vehicles purported to be the test results of the failed vehicles. Some of the defendants dispensed with the vi sual inspection or ignored any visual defects, while other defendants even passed the tests for vehicles they had not even seen and no test was conducted by them.
The defendants also agreed to adopt a more lax attitude and pass the vehicles sent by garages in order to obtain more businesses, the court heard.
According to the Annual Report of TD, the number of vehicles conducted roadworthiness examination at the CTC of DCH in Kowloon Bay increased from 25,553 in 2007 to 34,837 in 2011, the court heard.
During the five-year period, the CTC conducted a total of 155,230 roadworthiness examination, with the passing rate maintained at around 91 to 94 per cent annually, the court was told.
The TD and the management of the DCH had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Wong Po-wing, assisted by ICAC officer Eastman Tang.