An unemployed man was jailed for three months at Western Court today (Tuesday) for fabricating a corruption allegation against an officer of the then Urban Services Department (USD) who issued him a summons for littering.

Magistrate Ms Adriana Noelle Ching said making a false complaint to the ICAC was a serious offence, which warranted a custodial sentence.

While noting that the complaint was "malicious and vexatious " , the magistrate said the defendant had wasted ICAC's time and resources.

Chan Wing-keung, 31, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of making a false report to the ICAC on November 5, 1998 against Assistant Hawker Control Officer Sin Suk-chun, contrary to Section 13B(a) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Ordinance.

The report falsely alleged Sin of accepting bribes from an illegal hawker for not taking action against the hawker on the same day.

The court heard that on November 5, 1998, Chan was seen throwing a cigarette bud onto the road from a private car parked outside the Centre Street market complex.

Sin approached Chan who at first asked for leniency. Chan later turned hostile when Sin issued him a summons.

Later on the same day, Chan called the ICAC hotline using the name of his former schoolmate, alleging that he had seen USD staff, including Sin, accepting money from illegal hawkers outside the market complex as a reward for releasing the hawkers from arr ests.

Chan gave the ICAC false information regarding his identity card number, address and telephone number.

ICAC officers conducted a detailed investigation into the complaint. Enquiries revealed that Chan had made a false allegation against Sin.

The prosecution was today represented by a court prosecutor, assisted by ICAC officers Stephen Kung and Franky Lam.