Parent charged by ICAC with bribing government school headmistress for primary one placement
2023-1-18
A parent was charged by the ICAC today (January 18) with offering a bribe of $20,000 in cash to a headmistress of a government primary school in a bid to secure a primary one placement for her son. The incident was revealed in a corruption complaint filed by the school.
Li Junping, 45, housewife, faces one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. She was released on ICAC bail, pending her appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts this Friday (January 20) for plea.
On June 1 and 2, 2022, the Education Bureau released the results of central allocation for primary one admission for September 2022. Parents who were dissatisfied with the results could apply directly to their preferred schools for admission for their children.
On June 6, 2022, Hennessy Road Government Primary School (Causeway Bay) received an application form for primary one placement of the defendant’s son. Her son attended an admission interview in mid-June 2022, but he was not invited by the school for a second interview.
It is alleged that on July 18, 2022, the defendant offered a bribe of $20,000 in cash to the headmistress at the school for securing a primary one placement for her son. The headmistress rejected the offer and a corruption complaint was filed with the ICAC by the school on the same day. The school placement application of the defendant’s son was eventually unsuccessful.
The ICAC is grateful to the school for reporting corruption and its full assistance rendered to the anti-graft agency during its investigation into the case.
The ICAC reminds parents to strictly follow the established procedures when making school admission applications for their children. Parents should never offer bribes in exchange for school placements. The ICAC has published a Best Practice Checklist for Governance and Internal Control in Schools, which covers corruption prevention advice on admission of students. (cpas.icac.hk/EN/Info/Lib_List?cate_id=3&id=238)
Li Junping, 45, housewife, faces one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. She was released on ICAC bail, pending her appearance in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts this Friday (January 20) for plea.
On June 1 and 2, 2022, the Education Bureau released the results of central allocation for primary one admission for September 2022. Parents who were dissatisfied with the results could apply directly to their preferred schools for admission for their children.
On June 6, 2022, Hennessy Road Government Primary School (Causeway Bay) received an application form for primary one placement of the defendant’s son. Her son attended an admission interview in mid-June 2022, but he was not invited by the school for a second interview.
It is alleged that on July 18, 2022, the defendant offered a bribe of $20,000 in cash to the headmistress at the school for securing a primary one placement for her son. The headmistress rejected the offer and a corruption complaint was filed with the ICAC by the school on the same day. The school placement application of the defendant’s son was eventually unsuccessful.
The ICAC is grateful to the school for reporting corruption and its full assistance rendered to the anti-graft agency during its investigation into the case.
The ICAC reminds parents to strictly follow the established procedures when making school admission applications for their children. Parents should never offer bribes in exchange for school placements. The ICAC has published a Best Practice Checklist for Governance and Internal Control in Schools, which covers corruption prevention advice on admission of students. (cpas.icac.hk/EN/Info/Lib_List?cate_id=3&id=238)