Ex-Amenities Assistant of LCSD admits soliciting and accepting unauthorised loans and bribe
2020-11-10
A former Amenities Assistant I of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), charged by the ICAC, today (November 10) admitted at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts that he had solicited and accepted unauthorised loans and a bribe totalling over $7,000 from two co-workers under his supervision.
Luk Kin-fan, 57, pleaded guilty to five charges – two of prescribed officer soliciting and accepting an advantage, and two of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage, all contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); as well as one of public servant soliciting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the POBO.
The prosecution offered no evidence to three other charges of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage against the defendant.
Deputy Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai ordered the defendant to repay $7,000, being the unauthorised loans involved in the case, to two co-workers of the defendant.
The case was adjourned to November 25 for sentence, pending background and community service order reports. The defendant was granted cash bail.
The court heard that, at the material time, the defendant was an Amenities Assistant I of the LCSD posted to Lei Yue Mun Park. He was responsible for supervising cleaning and maintenance work of the park, including cleaning work conducted by cleansing workers of the park’s cleaning contractor.
The defendant also held a supervisory role over the duties of an Acting Amenities Assistant II (AAII) of an adjacent team if they worked on the same shift when the latter’s supervisor was not on duty.
On November 13, 2018, the defendant solicited a loan of $6,000 from the aforesaid Acting AAII. The Acting AAII rejected the solicitation as the defendant was his supervisor but the defendant continued to ask for a loan of $2,000.
The court heard that the Acting AAII eventually transferred $2,000 to the bank account of the defendant who had never made any repayment.
On January 2, 2019, the defendant solicited another loan of a few hundred dollars from the Acting AAII who declined it immediately.
Six days later, the defendant claimed that he could assist the Acting AAII to secure a favourable staff report and solicited loan of a few hundred dollars from the latter. The solicitation was also rejected.
The court also heard that on an unknown day in August 2018, the defendant solicited and accepted a loan of $5,000 from a cleansing worker of Lei Yue Mun Park’s cleaning contractor. He further solicited a loan of a few hundred dollars from the cleansing worker on an unknown day in May 2019, but the solicitation was rejected.
The LCSD earlier referred a corruption complaint to the ICAC and rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Stephen Fong, assisted by ICAC officer Moon Leung.
Luk Kin-fan, 57, pleaded guilty to five charges – two of prescribed officer soliciting and accepting an advantage, and two of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage, all contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); as well as one of public servant soliciting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the POBO.
The prosecution offered no evidence to three other charges of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage against the defendant.
Deputy Magistrate Mr Philip Chan Chee-fai ordered the defendant to repay $7,000, being the unauthorised loans involved in the case, to two co-workers of the defendant.
The case was adjourned to November 25 for sentence, pending background and community service order reports. The defendant was granted cash bail.
The court heard that, at the material time, the defendant was an Amenities Assistant I of the LCSD posted to Lei Yue Mun Park. He was responsible for supervising cleaning and maintenance work of the park, including cleaning work conducted by cleansing workers of the park’s cleaning contractor.
The defendant also held a supervisory role over the duties of an Acting Amenities Assistant II (AAII) of an adjacent team if they worked on the same shift when the latter’s supervisor was not on duty.
On November 13, 2018, the defendant solicited a loan of $6,000 from the aforesaid Acting AAII. The Acting AAII rejected the solicitation as the defendant was his supervisor but the defendant continued to ask for a loan of $2,000.
The court heard that the Acting AAII eventually transferred $2,000 to the bank account of the defendant who had never made any repayment.
On January 2, 2019, the defendant solicited another loan of a few hundred dollars from the Acting AAII who declined it immediately.
Six days later, the defendant claimed that he could assist the Acting AAII to secure a favourable staff report and solicited loan of a few hundred dollars from the latter. The solicitation was also rejected.
The court also heard that on an unknown day in August 2018, the defendant solicited and accepted a loan of $5,000 from a cleansing worker of Lei Yue Mun Park’s cleaning contractor. He further solicited a loan of a few hundred dollars from the cleansing worker on an unknown day in May 2019, but the solicitation was rejected.
The LCSD earlier referred a corruption complaint to the ICAC and rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Stephen Fong, assisted by ICAC officer Moon Leung.