Ex-policeman charged with misconduct, perjury and perversion
2015-7-24
A former Police Constable (PC) has been charged by the ICAC today (Friday) with misconduct in public office, perjury and perverting public justice to facilitate an operator of four money lenders in collecting debts from six debtors.
Lau Wai-man, 47, faces four counts of misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law. He also faces two other charges – one of perjury, contrary to Section 31 of the Crimes Ordinance, and one of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear in the Kowloon City Magistracy next Tuesday (July 28), pending the case to be transferred to the District Court for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, the defendant was a detective PC attached to a District Investigation Team of the Kowloon City District. He came to know an operator of four licensed money lenders.
Four of the charges allege that between March 17, 2009 and March 18, 2010, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to his public office, without reasonable excuse or justification, wilfully and intentionally misconducted himself.
The defendant is alleged to have caused requests to be sent to Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, CLP Holdings Limited, the Immigration Department and the Housing Department for personal particulars of five debtors; falsely represented that the requests were related to the Police’s criminal investigations involving them; and disclosed the information of those debtors as obtained from the public bodies and government departments concerned to the operator for his debt collection from them.
Another charge alleges that on October 19, 2009, the defendant, having been lawfully sworn as a witness in the judicial proceedings of an application in chambers before a magistrate for the issue of a search warrant, wilfully made a false statement that the account number of one of the five debtors with a bank was involved in an investigation by the Police into an offence of fraud.
The remaining charge alleges that between May 10 and July 20, 2010, the defendant, with intent to pervert the course of public justice, incited a woman not to testify against her son for forging her signature in a sale and purchase agreement in respect of their flat; and told the woman that if she was to sell her half share of the flat at about million to the finance company to which her son was indebted, her son would not be prosecuted for forging her signature.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Tuesday.
Lau Wai-man, 47, faces four counts of misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law. He also faces two other charges – one of perjury, contrary to Section 31 of the Crimes Ordinance, and one of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law.
The defendant will appear in the Kowloon City Magistracy next Tuesday (July 28), pending the case to be transferred to the District Court for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, the defendant was a detective PC attached to a District Investigation Team of the Kowloon City District. He came to know an operator of four licensed money lenders.
Four of the charges allege that between March 17, 2009 and March 18, 2010, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to his public office, without reasonable excuse or justification, wilfully and intentionally misconducted himself.
The defendant is alleged to have caused requests to be sent to Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, CLP Holdings Limited, the Immigration Department and the Housing Department for personal particulars of five debtors; falsely represented that the requests were related to the Police’s criminal investigations involving them; and disclosed the information of those debtors as obtained from the public bodies and government departments concerned to the operator for his debt collection from them.
Another charge alleges that on October 19, 2009, the defendant, having been lawfully sworn as a witness in the judicial proceedings of an application in chambers before a magistrate for the issue of a search warrant, wilfully made a false statement that the account number of one of the five debtors with a bank was involved in an investigation by the Police into an offence of fraud.
The remaining charge alleges that between May 10 and July 20, 2010, the defendant, with intent to pervert the course of public justice, incited a woman not to testify against her son for forging her signature in a sale and purchase agreement in respect of their flat; and told the woman that if she was to sell her half share of the flat at about million to the finance company to which her son was indebted, her son would not be prosecuted for forging her signature.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Tuesday.