Four years' jail for KCRC freight manager
2000-3-24
A Freight Operations Manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) was sentenced to four years' imprisonment by Judge Esther Toh at District Court today (Friday) for accepting bribes of 110,000 Renminbi and $97,500 to facilitate freight smuggli ng activities.
Leung John Timothy, alias Leung Chiu-ming, 55, was today found guilty of 17 offences.
Two of the corruption charges accused Leung of accepting 110,000 Renminbi in total from Tsui Shing, then officer-in-charge of the Import Division of Shun Kong Customs Declaration Co. Ltd.
The bribes were for Leung to arrange the delivery of acetate tows which were raw materials for manufacturing cigarette filters from Hong Kong to Mainland. The court heard that 11 KCRC train cargo compartments were falsely declared as empty wagons.
Twelve other corruption charges accused Leung of accepting $97,500 in total from Ho Tai-kwan, director of Hop Cheong Paper Company Limited (Hop Cheong).
The bribes were for Leung to connive at the storage of goods not belonging to Hop Cheong at a KCRC warehouse in Mongkok, contrary to the provisions of an agreement made between KCRC and Hop Cheong, and assist Ho to re-possess five vehicle parking spaces a t the warehouse.
Leung was also convicted on three counts of exporting and attempting to export unmanifested cargo, respectively 21 packages of unknown cargoes, 336 bales and 392 cartons of acetate tow.
The offences took place between February and October 1999.
The judge today also ordered the defendant to return the bribe money to KCRC as restitution.
In convicting the defendant, the judge said that she was satisfied that the cautioned statements were taken without oppression or inducement.
However, the judge made some comments on the way an interview was conducted.
An ICAC spokesman said that the Commission would take note of the judge's remarks, and review the matter with a view to seeking improvements where necessary.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Po-wing on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Diman Mak.
Leung John Timothy, alias Leung Chiu-ming, 55, was today found guilty of 17 offences.
Two of the corruption charges accused Leung of accepting 110,000 Renminbi in total from Tsui Shing, then officer-in-charge of the Import Division of Shun Kong Customs Declaration Co. Ltd.
The bribes were for Leung to arrange the delivery of acetate tows which were raw materials for manufacturing cigarette filters from Hong Kong to Mainland. The court heard that 11 KCRC train cargo compartments were falsely declared as empty wagons.
Twelve other corruption charges accused Leung of accepting $97,500 in total from Ho Tai-kwan, director of Hop Cheong Paper Company Limited (Hop Cheong).
The bribes were for Leung to connive at the storage of goods not belonging to Hop Cheong at a KCRC warehouse in Mongkok, contrary to the provisions of an agreement made between KCRC and Hop Cheong, and assist Ho to re-possess five vehicle parking spaces a t the warehouse.
Leung was also convicted on three counts of exporting and attempting to export unmanifested cargo, respectively 21 packages of unknown cargoes, 336 bales and 392 cartons of acetate tow.
The offences took place between February and October 1999.
The judge today also ordered the defendant to return the bribe money to KCRC as restitution.
In convicting the defendant, the judge said that she was satisfied that the cautioned statements were taken without oppression or inducement.
However, the judge made some comments on the way an interview was conducted.
An ICAC spokesman said that the Commission would take note of the judge's remarks, and review the matter with a view to seeking improvements where necessary.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Po-wing on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Diman Mak.