Ex-security guard gets three months’ jail for bribing supervisors
2023-2-10
A former security guard, charged by the ICAC, was today (February 10) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts for offering bribes totalling $8,000 to his supervisors on three occasions over a period of 18 months for arranging him to act as and get promoted to assistant supervisor.
Tang Kam-ngau, 58, former security guard of Hong Kong Guards Limited (HKGL), earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Cheng Lim-chi remarked that the offences concerned were serious in nature. He added that the clean society image of Hong Kong had to be safeguarded. The court must send a message to the public that the society would not tolerate both offering and acceptance of bribes.
The acting principal magistrate took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant by half, having considered his guilty plea and other mitigating factors.
At the material time, the defendant was a security guard of HKGL posted to Shui Chuen O Estate, a public housing estate in Shatin. A total of about 40 security guards worked at the estate under the supervision of a supervisor and several assistant supervisors.
When an assistant supervisor was absent from duty, the supervisor had the discretion to appoint a security guard to act for the post. The acting appointment involved a daily acting allowance.
The court heard that the defendant had complained to his then supervisor about not having the opportunity to act up as an assistant supervisor. Subsequently on two occasions, the defendant gave two red packets containing cash of $6,000 in total to the then supervisor upon the latter’s solicitation.
Thereafter, the defendant was arranged to act as an assistant supervisor on about 70 occasions between April 2019 and December 2020.
In November 2020, the defendant asked a then assistant supervisor, who would soon assume the post of supervisor, about his chance of promotion. Upon the then assistant supervisor’s solicitation, the defendant gave her a red packet containing cash of $2,000. However, the offer was not accepted as the defendant was told it did not meet the amount required.
HKGL prohibited its staff members from soliciting and accepting advantages in relation to their official duties. HKGL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Luk Pui-suet, the then assistant supervisor concerned, was earlier charged by the ICAC with bribery in a separate case. She was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment this Tuesday (February 7) following her conviction of two counts of agent soliciting an advantage.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Jeff Ng.
Tang Kam-ngau, 58, former security guard of Hong Kong Guards Limited (HKGL), earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Cheng Lim-chi remarked that the offences concerned were serious in nature. He added that the clean society image of Hong Kong had to be safeguarded. The court must send a message to the public that the society would not tolerate both offering and acceptance of bribes.
The acting principal magistrate took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant by half, having considered his guilty plea and other mitigating factors.
At the material time, the defendant was a security guard of HKGL posted to Shui Chuen O Estate, a public housing estate in Shatin. A total of about 40 security guards worked at the estate under the supervision of a supervisor and several assistant supervisors.
When an assistant supervisor was absent from duty, the supervisor had the discretion to appoint a security guard to act for the post. The acting appointment involved a daily acting allowance.
The court heard that the defendant had complained to his then supervisor about not having the opportunity to act up as an assistant supervisor. Subsequently on two occasions, the defendant gave two red packets containing cash of $6,000 in total to the then supervisor upon the latter’s solicitation.
Thereafter, the defendant was arranged to act as an assistant supervisor on about 70 occasions between April 2019 and December 2020.
In November 2020, the defendant asked a then assistant supervisor, who would soon assume the post of supervisor, about his chance of promotion. Upon the then assistant supervisor’s solicitation, the defendant gave her a red packet containing cash of $2,000. However, the offer was not accepted as the defendant was told it did not meet the amount required.
HKGL prohibited its staff members from soliciting and accepting advantages in relation to their official duties. HKGL had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
Luk Pui-suet, the then assistant supervisor concerned, was earlier charged by the ICAC with bribery in a separate case. She was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment this Tuesday (February 7) following her conviction of two counts of agent soliciting an advantage.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Steven Liu, assisted by ICAC officer Jeff Ng.