Police officer admits accepting bribes to tip off information
2000-2-11
A Senior Police Communications Officer, charged by the ICAC, admitted to have accepted $42,000 in bribes for leaking out confidential police information to a reporter when he appeared in District Court today (Friday).
Yeung Kai-hing, 46, pleaded guilty to six counts of accepting the bribes from Lau Kong-kwun, reporter of Apple Daily Limited, for providing him with information concerning police investigations between 1997 and November 29, 1999.
The court was also requested to take into consideration that Yeung had accepted additional $124,000 in bribes for the same reason over the said period of time.
Also appearing in court today were Lau, 47, and Tsang Ping-lam, 51, Police Communications Officer (PCO). Lau and Tsang pleaded not guilty to 22 and 12 offences respectively.
Judge Hawkes reserved sentencing on Yeung, and remanded him in the custody of the ICAC. The judge adjourned the case until May 22, 2000 for trial.
The court heard that Yeung, attached to the Regional Command and Control Centre of the Hong Kong Island, had known Lau for more than 10 years. Lau was a former PCO.
The court was told when Yeung met Lau at the end of 1997, Lau asked Yeung to provide him with the police crime reports and other confidential information of the Control Centre on a daily basis for a reward of $6,000 a month plus a year-end double pay. Ye ung agreed, and received the first payment in December 1997.
The court heard that from time to time, Lau would provide Yeung with the report numbers of cases under police investigation. Yeung would find out the background information on these cases and tipped off Lau accordingly. On average, Yeung provided Lau wit h information on five to 10 police cases a month.
In November last year, Yeung was caught red-handed after accepting $8,000 from Lau inside a Wan Chai restaurant. Lau was also arrested at the scene after allegedly receiving some police crime reports from Yeung.
Lau faced 22 charges, which accused him of offering $132,000 in total to Yeung and Tsang in return for information concerning police investigations between 1997 and November 29, 1999.
Tsang was charged with 12 offences. The charges stated that Tsang had accepted $48,000 in total from Lau for providing him with the said information between 1995 and October 31, 1999.
The Police referred early last year a suspected corruption case to the ICAC, alleging that some police personnel had accepted bribes from reporters for leaking confidential information on police operations and investigations.
Lau and Tsang continued to be granted cash bail of $50,000 and $10,000 respectively, and were ordered not to leave Hong Kong and to reside at their reported addresses.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Joseph To, assisted by ICAC officer Ricky Yu.
Yeung Kai-hing, 46, pleaded guilty to six counts of accepting the bribes from Lau Kong-kwun, reporter of Apple Daily Limited, for providing him with information concerning police investigations between 1997 and November 29, 1999.
The court was also requested to take into consideration that Yeung had accepted additional $124,000 in bribes for the same reason over the said period of time.
Also appearing in court today were Lau, 47, and Tsang Ping-lam, 51, Police Communications Officer (PCO). Lau and Tsang pleaded not guilty to 22 and 12 offences respectively.
Judge Hawkes reserved sentencing on Yeung, and remanded him in the custody of the ICAC. The judge adjourned the case until May 22, 2000 for trial.
The court heard that Yeung, attached to the Regional Command and Control Centre of the Hong Kong Island, had known Lau for more than 10 years. Lau was a former PCO.
The court was told when Yeung met Lau at the end of 1997, Lau asked Yeung to provide him with the police crime reports and other confidential information of the Control Centre on a daily basis for a reward of $6,000 a month plus a year-end double pay. Ye ung agreed, and received the first payment in December 1997.
The court heard that from time to time, Lau would provide Yeung with the report numbers of cases under police investigation. Yeung would find out the background information on these cases and tipped off Lau accordingly. On average, Yeung provided Lau wit h information on five to 10 police cases a month.
In November last year, Yeung was caught red-handed after accepting $8,000 from Lau inside a Wan Chai restaurant. Lau was also arrested at the scene after allegedly receiving some police crime reports from Yeung.
Lau faced 22 charges, which accused him of offering $132,000 in total to Yeung and Tsang in return for information concerning police investigations between 1997 and November 29, 1999.
Tsang was charged with 12 offences. The charges stated that Tsang had accepted $48,000 in total from Lau for providing him with the said information between 1995 and October 31, 1999.
The Police referred early last year a suspected corruption case to the ICAC, alleging that some police personnel had accepted bribes from reporters for leaking confidential information on police operations and investigations.
Lau and Tsang continued to be granted cash bail of $50,000 and $10,000 respectively, and were ordered not to leave Hong Kong and to reside at their reported addresses.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Joseph To, assisted by ICAC officer Ricky Yu.