Ex-Police Sergeant charged by ICAC admits accepting $216,000 unauthorised loans
2021-10-11
A former Police Sergeant, charged by the ICAC, today (October 11) admitted at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts that he had accepted unauthorised loans totalling $216,000 from eight Police Constables (PCs).
Wong Sai-hung, 44, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to a charge of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage against him.
Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to October 25 for sentence, pending the defendant’s psychiatric, psychological and background reports. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that the defendant joined the Police in 1995 and left the force in late February this year upon resignation. The offences took place between October 2019 and September 2020 when the defendant was a Police Sergeant first posted to the Special Duties Squad of Border District, and subsequently transferred to a Patrol Sub-Unit of the Lok Ma Chau Division.
Between October 21 and November 20, 2019, the defendant, without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive (CE), accepted four loans, each ranging from $2,500 to $133,500, totalling $161,000 from a PC who also worked at the Lok Ma Chau Police Station.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the defendant only repaid $49,500 to the PC. It was also found that three of the loans, totalling $156,000, were obtained from a bank by the PC upon the defendant’s request.
Between August 13 and September 16, 2020, the defendant accepted another seven loans, each ranging from $2,000 to $20,000, totalling $55,000 from seven other PCs without the general or special permission of the CE.
The court heard that the seven PCs were the subordinates of the defendant in the same Patrol Sub-Unit. The defendant was the appraising officer of two of them. He could also be assigned to prepare the appraisal reports of the remaining five PCs or be consulted by the relevant appraising officers in preparing their appraisal reports.
ICAC investigation revealed that the defendant did not make any repayment to the seven PCs.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Antony Leung, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Chu.
Wong Sai-hung, 44, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to a charge of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage against him.
Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to October 25 for sentence, pending the defendant’s psychiatric, psychological and background reports. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that the defendant joined the Police in 1995 and left the force in late February this year upon resignation. The offences took place between October 2019 and September 2020 when the defendant was a Police Sergeant first posted to the Special Duties Squad of Border District, and subsequently transferred to a Patrol Sub-Unit of the Lok Ma Chau Division.
Between October 21 and November 20, 2019, the defendant, without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive (CE), accepted four loans, each ranging from $2,500 to $133,500, totalling $161,000 from a PC who also worked at the Lok Ma Chau Police Station.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the defendant only repaid $49,500 to the PC. It was also found that three of the loans, totalling $156,000, were obtained from a bank by the PC upon the defendant’s request.
Between August 13 and September 16, 2020, the defendant accepted another seven loans, each ranging from $2,000 to $20,000, totalling $55,000 from seven other PCs without the general or special permission of the CE.
The court heard that the seven PCs were the subordinates of the defendant in the same Patrol Sub-Unit. The defendant was the appraising officer of two of them. He could also be assigned to prepare the appraisal reports of the remaining five PCs or be consulted by the relevant appraising officers in preparing their appraisal reports.
ICAC investigation revealed that the defendant did not make any repayment to the seven PCs.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Antony Leung, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Chu.