Parent jailed for four months for bribing government school headmistress over primary one placement
2023-3-28
A parent, charged by the ICAC, was today (March 28) sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for 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, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei said the defendant had chosen a wrong method to secure a good school placement for her son. Bribing public officials was a serious offence which would undermine a clean society and fair competition. The court took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to four months, having considered her guilty plea.
The court had earlier ordered to confiscate the bribe of $20,000 involved in the case.
The court heard that on June 1 and 2, 2022, the Education Bureau (EDB) 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. No fee was required for an application for primary one placement made through the EDB.
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.
The defendant went to the school on July 18, 2022 and requested the headmistress to reconsider her son’s application. At this juncture, the defendant offered a bribe of $20,000 in cash to the headmistress for securing a primary one placement for her son. The offer was rejected 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.
EDB prohibited its staff from soliciting or accepting any advantage from parents for securing placement from any school.
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. The Checklist: cpas.icac.hk/EN/Info/Lib_List?cate_id=3&id=238.
The ICAC highly praised the school for reporting corruption and rendering full assistance together with the EDB to the anti-graft agency during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Stanley Sizto.
Li Junping, 45, housewife, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei said the defendant had chosen a wrong method to secure a good school placement for her son. Bribing public officials was a serious offence which would undermine a clean society and fair competition. The court took a starting point of six months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to four months, having considered her guilty plea.
The court had earlier ordered to confiscate the bribe of $20,000 involved in the case.
The court heard that on June 1 and 2, 2022, the Education Bureau (EDB) 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. No fee was required for an application for primary one placement made through the EDB.
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.
The defendant went to the school on July 18, 2022 and requested the headmistress to reconsider her son’s application. At this juncture, the defendant offered a bribe of $20,000 in cash to the headmistress for securing a primary one placement for her son. The offer was rejected 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.
EDB prohibited its staff from soliciting or accepting any advantage from parents for securing placement from any school.
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. The Checklist: cpas.icac.hk/EN/Info/Lib_List?cate_id=3&id=238.
The ICAC highly praised the school for reporting corruption and rendering full assistance together with the EDB to the anti-graft agency during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Stanley Sizto.