Man charged by ICAC jailed for bribing TD driving examiner for getting a pass
2023-1-3
A man charged by the ICAC was today (January 3) sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts for bribing a driving examiner with $2,000 to get a pass after making a mistake at a road driving test of the Transport Department (TD).
Lai Cheung-ming, 60, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man remarked that the defendant had bribed a public servant and committed an offence which was serious in nature. She noted that the case did not involve any exceptional circumstances and hence it was not appropriate to mete out a non-custodial sentence to the defendant.
The magistrate added that she took a starting point of seven and a half months, and reduced the jail term to four months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea and other mitigation factors.
The court heard that on July 9, 2022, the defendant attended Yau Tong Driving Test Centre of the TD for his road driving test. A Driving Examiner II of the TD was his examiner.
The defendant made a serious mistake soon after the driving test commenced. He then offered “tea money” of $2,000 in cash to the examiner in a bid to secure a pass in the test. The examiner immediately turned down the offer and reported the incident to the TD right after the test.
The defendant was arrested by ICAC officers on the spot upon the ICAC’s receipt of a corruption complaint referred by the TD on the same day.
The TD had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. Legal advice was sought from the Department of Justice upon completion of the investigation, and the defendant was earlier charged accordingly pursuant to the legal advice.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Chan Sze-yan, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Chan.
An ICAC spokesperson notes that a clean civil service has all along been the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success. The Commission recognises civil servants who reject corruption and uphold their integrity. Members of the public are reminded that bribing civil servants is a serious offence. The maximum penalty on conviction of the offence is a seven-year imprisonment and a fine of $500,000.
Lai Cheung-ming, 60, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Miss Minnie Wat Lai-man remarked that the defendant had bribed a public servant and committed an offence which was serious in nature. She noted that the case did not involve any exceptional circumstances and hence it was not appropriate to mete out a non-custodial sentence to the defendant.
The magistrate added that she took a starting point of seven and a half months, and reduced the jail term to four months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea and other mitigation factors.
The court heard that on July 9, 2022, the defendant attended Yau Tong Driving Test Centre of the TD for his road driving test. A Driving Examiner II of the TD was his examiner.
The defendant made a serious mistake soon after the driving test commenced. He then offered “tea money” of $2,000 in cash to the examiner in a bid to secure a pass in the test. The examiner immediately turned down the offer and reported the incident to the TD right after the test.
The defendant was arrested by ICAC officers on the spot upon the ICAC’s receipt of a corruption complaint referred by the TD on the same day.
The TD had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. Legal advice was sought from the Department of Justice upon completion of the investigation, and the defendant was earlier charged accordingly pursuant to the legal advice.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Chan Sze-yan, assisted by ICAC officer Keith Chan.
An ICAC spokesperson notes that a clean civil service has all along been the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success. The Commission recognises civil servants who reject corruption and uphold their integrity. Members of the public are reminded that bribing civil servants is a serious offence. The maximum penalty on conviction of the offence is a seven-year imprisonment and a fine of $500,000.