Three convicted of New Territories property frauds
2000-3-29
Three men were today (Wednesday) convicted of fraud offences relating to the ownership of land in the New Territories and "small house" applications.
The offences were revealed when the ICAC investigated corruption complaints which alleged village representatives of assisting in the scams for bribes.
At the District Court today, an indigenous villager of the Ho Sheung Heung Tsuen in Sheung Shui was jailed for eight months for embezzlement of land worth over $1 million.
Judge Peter Line said an immediate custodial sentence was imposed because the offence was serious and constituted a breach of trust.
Hau Ping-hang, 63, retired, admitted one count of stealing two pieces of land owned by " Lai U Tong" in Sheung Shui, the New Territories on September 23, 1996.
In 1926, Hau Lai-hing, and Hau Kam-fung purchased five lots of land in Ho Sheung Heung Tsuen.
The ownership was registered in the name of "Lai U Tong", with Hau Lai-hing and Hau Kam-fung as the trustees.
After they passed away, all male descendants of Hau Lai-hing and Hau Kam-fung became the collective beneficial owners of the land, as represented by "Lai U Tong".
On November 2, 1994, the defendant and another indigenous villager, Hou Tak-ming, jointly submitted an application to the North District Office for approval to become the new managers of "Lai U Tong".
Their application was approved in 1995 in accordance with the New Territories Ordinance.
Hau Ping-hang and Hou Tak-ming, as the managers of "Lau U Tong", were entitled to sell or dispose of the land.
While Hou Tak-ming is the only grandson and descendant of Hau Kam-fung, the defendant, being one of the grandsons of Hau Lai-hing, is only one of the beneficiary owners of the land representing his family.
On June 19, 1996, the defendant and Hou Tak-ming filed a joint application to the District Office to transfer, by way of gift, the land to themselves.
The defendant submitted documents which falsely represented that he was the only beneficiary from his family.
Based on his false representation, the District Office approved the transfer of the ownership of two lots of land to the defendant.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Benny Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Alan Pang.
In another case, two brothers admitted at Tuen Mun Court today for conspiring with others to defraud officers of the Lands Department's Tuen Mun District Lands Office over applications for building "small houses".
Liu Tak-wing, 25, and Liu Tak-on, 24, both transportation workers, were residents but not indigenous villagers of Yeung Siu Hang Tsuen (YSHT), Tuen Mun.
They admitted that through the arrangement of a middleman, they had submitted documents which falsely represented that they were indigenous villagers of YSHT in their applications to build "small houses".
Magistrate Mr Timothy Jenkins adjourned sentencing until April 26, 2000, pending probation and community service order reports.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Calvin Wong Kwok-keung.
The offences were revealed when the ICAC investigated corruption complaints which alleged village representatives of assisting in the scams for bribes.
At the District Court today, an indigenous villager of the Ho Sheung Heung Tsuen in Sheung Shui was jailed for eight months for embezzlement of land worth over $1 million.
Judge Peter Line said an immediate custodial sentence was imposed because the offence was serious and constituted a breach of trust.
Hau Ping-hang, 63, retired, admitted one count of stealing two pieces of land owned by " Lai U Tong" in Sheung Shui, the New Territories on September 23, 1996.
In 1926, Hau Lai-hing, and Hau Kam-fung purchased five lots of land in Ho Sheung Heung Tsuen.
The ownership was registered in the name of "Lai U Tong", with Hau Lai-hing and Hau Kam-fung as the trustees.
After they passed away, all male descendants of Hau Lai-hing and Hau Kam-fung became the collective beneficial owners of the land, as represented by "Lai U Tong".
On November 2, 1994, the defendant and another indigenous villager, Hou Tak-ming, jointly submitted an application to the North District Office for approval to become the new managers of "Lai U Tong".
Their application was approved in 1995 in accordance with the New Territories Ordinance.
Hau Ping-hang and Hou Tak-ming, as the managers of "Lau U Tong", were entitled to sell or dispose of the land.
While Hou Tak-ming is the only grandson and descendant of Hau Kam-fung, the defendant, being one of the grandsons of Hau Lai-hing, is only one of the beneficiary owners of the land representing his family.
On June 19, 1996, the defendant and Hou Tak-ming filed a joint application to the District Office to transfer, by way of gift, the land to themselves.
The defendant submitted documents which falsely represented that he was the only beneficiary from his family.
Based on his false representation, the District Office approved the transfer of the ownership of two lots of land to the defendant.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Benny Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Alan Pang.
In another case, two brothers admitted at Tuen Mun Court today for conspiring with others to defraud officers of the Lands Department's Tuen Mun District Lands Office over applications for building "small houses".
Liu Tak-wing, 25, and Liu Tak-on, 24, both transportation workers, were residents but not indigenous villagers of Yeung Siu Hang Tsuen (YSHT), Tuen Mun.
They admitted that through the arrangement of a middleman, they had submitted documents which falsely represented that they were indigenous villagers of YSHT in their applications to build "small houses".
Magistrate Mr Timothy Jenkins adjourned sentencing until April 26, 2000, pending probation and community service order reports.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Calvin Wong Kwok-keung.