A local employee of the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong was today (Tuesday) jailed for six months for accepting $20,000 to help a woman emigrate to Australia to join her family.

Appearing at Eastern Court, Lai Chun-kit, 45, an Assessing Officer of the Consulate's Migration Office, pleaded guilty to one count of accepting $20,000 from Karen Chan on November 18, 1999. The bribe was for expediting Chan's application for emigration to Australia.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Ian Candy said that the defendant had committed a serious offence, adding that the court had taken into consideration the defendant's guilty plea.

The court heard that on November 16, 1999, Lai interviewed Chan who wished to emigrate to Australia for family re-union.

The defendant told Chan that the Consulate had received a letter which would affect her chance of emigration and solicited $20,000 for destroying the letter.

During a meeting monitored by the ICAC on November 18, 1999, the defendant again demanded the money from Chan, promising that he would destroy the letter. Chan then gave the defendant $20,000.

Immediately after the meeting, the defendant was arrested by ICAC officers.

The ICAC received full assistance from the Consulate during its investigation.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Chan Ka-ming.