ICAC smashes alleged 'scapegoat' syndicate
2000-2-1
The ICAC has smashed a syndicate which allegedly supplied itinerant hawker licence holders to substitute unlicenced hawkers for arrests and prosecutions with the connivance of a number of hawker control grade officers.
Twenty-nine were arrested in an ICAC operation at Marble Road in North Point, which commenced yesterday. Among the arrestees were one Chief HCO (CHCO), one Senior HCO (SHCO), 14 serving and one former Assistant HCOs (AHCOs). The remaining arrestees were hawkers and the alleged scapegoats”.
Itinerant hawker licence holders are allowed to hawk on a mobile basis. If arrested, they will normally be charged with causing obstruction in a public place and will not be subject to forfeiture of their goods.
Unlicenced hawkers, if arrested, are subject to charges of causing obstruction as well as illegal hawking which attracts prison sentence and forfeiture of goods if convicted.
The ICAC earlier received information from the Police suspecting that a number of hawker control grade officers of the Eastern District were corruptly protecting a syndicate which manipulated illegal hawking activities at Marble Road. The syndicate was a llegedly headed by four unlicensed hawkers.
The Police has since then offered full assistance to the ICAC in the investigation.
The syndicate had, on a number of occasions, allegedly obtained prior warnings of impending raids against illegal hawking from a CHCO and a SHCO.
Investigations also revealed that a scapegoat” plot was allegedly operated by the syndicate with the assistance of a number of hawker control grade officers.
The syndicate allegedly arranged“scapegoats”, who were itinerant hawker licence holders, to turn up at the scene when the hawker control grade officers took enforcement action against illegal hawking.
Between January and November 1999, 10“phantom raids” were allegedly mounted at Marble Road with the assistance of five“scapegoats”, four of whom were holders of itinerant hawker licences.
It was alleged that in most cases, the “scapegoats” were taken to the North Point Police Station, where the hawker control grade officers prepared and signed a “Hawker Arrest Case Summary” for the police duty officer to lay charges against the
"scapegoats”.
It was suspected that on two other occasions, the“scapegoats” were released on the way to the police station.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Twenty-eight of the arrestees are still being detained by the ICAC, pending further inquiries.
Twenty-nine were arrested in an ICAC operation at Marble Road in North Point, which commenced yesterday. Among the arrestees were one Chief HCO (CHCO), one Senior HCO (SHCO), 14 serving and one former Assistant HCOs (AHCOs). The remaining arrestees were hawkers and the alleged scapegoats”.
Itinerant hawker licence holders are allowed to hawk on a mobile basis. If arrested, they will normally be charged with causing obstruction in a public place and will not be subject to forfeiture of their goods.
Unlicenced hawkers, if arrested, are subject to charges of causing obstruction as well as illegal hawking which attracts prison sentence and forfeiture of goods if convicted.
The ICAC earlier received information from the Police suspecting that a number of hawker control grade officers of the Eastern District were corruptly protecting a syndicate which manipulated illegal hawking activities at Marble Road. The syndicate was a llegedly headed by four unlicensed hawkers.
The Police has since then offered full assistance to the ICAC in the investigation.
The syndicate had, on a number of occasions, allegedly obtained prior warnings of impending raids against illegal hawking from a CHCO and a SHCO.
Investigations also revealed that a scapegoat” plot was allegedly operated by the syndicate with the assistance of a number of hawker control grade officers.
The syndicate allegedly arranged“scapegoats”, who were itinerant hawker licence holders, to turn up at the scene when the hawker control grade officers took enforcement action against illegal hawking.
Between January and November 1999, 10“phantom raids” were allegedly mounted at Marble Road with the assistance of five“scapegoats”, four of whom were holders of itinerant hawker licences.
It was alleged that in most cases, the “scapegoats” were taken to the North Point Police Station, where the hawker control grade officers prepared and signed a “Hawker Arrest Case Summary” for the police duty officer to lay charges against the
"scapegoats”.
It was suspected that on two other occasions, the“scapegoats” were released on the way to the police station.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Twenty-eight of the arrestees are still being detained by the ICAC, pending further inquiries.