Police Sergeant charged by ICAC guilty of accepting $500,000 bribe for assisting businessman over investigation
2023-2-25
A Police Sergeant, charged by the ICAC, was today (February 25) convicted at the District Court of accepting a bribe of $500,000 for assisting a businessman over an investigation regarding a debt collection matter involving a triad society.
Li Hung-fat, 53, Police Sergeant, was found guilty of one count of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(c) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Deputy Judge Mr Charles Chan adjourned the case to March 18 for mitigation and sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department (CSD).
In delivering his verdict, the Deputy Judge said circumstantial evidence in the case was crucial in proving the purpose of the defendant’s acceptance of $500,000. The Deputy Judge was satisfied that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the $500,000 concerned was not a loan provided by the elder brother of the defendant, as claimed by the defence, but a bribe related to the assistance provided by the defendant to the businessman involved in this case.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Sergeant of a District Investigation Team (DIT) of the Eastern District. In February 2019, the defendant came to know a businessman through the younger brother of the defendant’s sister-in-law. The businessman had some financial disputes with another person (the Person) who had allegedly caused nuisance to his family member, including sending a dunning letter to him pressing for repayment. A report was made to the Police but no investigation had been conducted.
In the same month, the defendant provided information to another Police Sergeant working in the same district and specialising in the investigation of debt collection cases. It was reported that the nuisance was related to the Person’s debt collection syndicate with a triad background and the defendant requested the Police Sergeant to report the matter to the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau.
In March 2019, the defendant urged the aforementioned Police Sergeant to submit the information to the Police. He also obtained from his elder brother, an Assistant Officer I of the CSD, the penal records of the Person, and requested a DIT Police Constable to ascertain the residential address of the Person. The defendant further provided an image of the Person’s identity card to another DIT Police Constable in April 2019, and asked the latter to assist in finding out the residential address of the Person.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that the younger brother of the defendant’s sister-in-law had issued a cheque of $500,000 to the defendant in late April 2019. The cheque was deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account on July 5 in the same year, as an inducement to or reward for the defendant’s assisting the aforesaid businessman in the investigation of the said debt collection matter. The defendant deceitfully claimed that the money was a loan from his elder brother.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Beney Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Ho Cheuk-wing.
An ICAC spokesperson states that the ICAC has been working closely with the Police to provide regular integrity training to police officers of different ranks, reminding them to adhere strictly to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and not to abuse their power for personal gain.
Li Hung-fat, 53, Police Sergeant, was found guilty of one count of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(c) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Deputy Judge Mr Charles Chan adjourned the case to March 18 for mitigation and sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department (CSD).
In delivering his verdict, the Deputy Judge said circumstantial evidence in the case was crucial in proving the purpose of the defendant’s acceptance of $500,000. The Deputy Judge was satisfied that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the $500,000 concerned was not a loan provided by the elder brother of the defendant, as claimed by the defence, but a bribe related to the assistance provided by the defendant to the businessman involved in this case.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Sergeant of a District Investigation Team (DIT) of the Eastern District. In February 2019, the defendant came to know a businessman through the younger brother of the defendant’s sister-in-law. The businessman had some financial disputes with another person (the Person) who had allegedly caused nuisance to his family member, including sending a dunning letter to him pressing for repayment. A report was made to the Police but no investigation had been conducted.
In the same month, the defendant provided information to another Police Sergeant working in the same district and specialising in the investigation of debt collection cases. It was reported that the nuisance was related to the Person’s debt collection syndicate with a triad background and the defendant requested the Police Sergeant to report the matter to the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau.
In March 2019, the defendant urged the aforementioned Police Sergeant to submit the information to the Police. He also obtained from his elder brother, an Assistant Officer I of the CSD, the penal records of the Person, and requested a DIT Police Constable to ascertain the residential address of the Person. The defendant further provided an image of the Person’s identity card to another DIT Police Constable in April 2019, and asked the latter to assist in finding out the residential address of the Person.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that the younger brother of the defendant’s sister-in-law had issued a cheque of $500,000 to the defendant in late April 2019. The cheque was deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account on July 5 in the same year, as an inducement to or reward for the defendant’s assisting the aforesaid businessman in the investigation of the said debt collection matter. The defendant deceitfully claimed that the money was a loan from his elder brother.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Beney Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Ho Cheuk-wing.
An ICAC spokesperson states that the ICAC has been working closely with the Police to provide regular integrity training to police officers of different ranks, reminding them to adhere strictly to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and not to abuse their power for personal gain.