A former civil servant, who ran loansharking activities in government office premises, was jailed for seven months at District Court today (Thursday) for lending money to 10 government servants at an excessive interest rate as high as 162 per cent per annum.

Yue Tong-tat, 61, pleaded guilty to 24 out of 30 sample charges. The court ordered the remaining six charges to be put on file.

In sentencing, Judge Chua said the court took a very serious view on the crime committed by the defendant, though it was not syndicated. The judge added that she had taken into consideration the defendant's guilty plea and his clear records.

Yue, now unemployed, was a former Artisan of the then Public Works Department. He admitted lending a total of $268,000 to 10 civil servants at an effective rate of interest exceeding 60 per cent per annum between early 1996 and January 1999.

Among the 10 borrowers, nine were employees of the Water Supplies Department (WSD) - a Works Supervisor I, a Customer Service Inspector, two Artisans and five Works Supervisors II. The remaining one was an Assistant Hawker Control Officer of the then Reg ional Services Department (RSD).

Yue was arrested by the ICAC in January 1999 in connection with a corruption investigation concerning loan sharking activities which were conducted openly inside a WSD depot.

ICAC investigations revealed that Yue had lent a large sum of money to 70 serving and two former civil servants from five government departments - the WSD, RSD, then Urban Services Department, Drainage Services Department and Housing Department.

The prosecution was today represented by Christopher Coghlan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Wendy Au.