Immigration Officer guilty of helping Mainland citizens illegally enter HK for bribes
2000-7-5
An Immigration Officer was convicted of accepting bribes for helping a number of Mainland citizens, including an alleged triad leader wanted by the Government of the United States, to enter Hong Kong illegally and leaking confidential information of the D epartment.
Kwan Che-ping, 51, was found guilty at the District Court today (Wednesday) on one count of conspiracy to accept, and 10 counts of accepting advantages as a public servant under Section 4 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that Kwan had conspired with former Senior Inspector of the Customs and Excise Department Philip Chu Hak-lan to accept money for Kwan to provide confidential information of the Immigration Department.
Kwan had also accepted about $27,000 and Renminbi 2,000 in total from from Chu, Chui Hong-man and Jiang Tao for assisting a number of persons to enter Hong Kong and to obtain a right of residence.
The offences took place between 1990 and 1998.
Judge Bernard Whaley today adjourned the case to July 21, 2000 for sentence, and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that Kwan was acquainted with Chu in 1983. Since then, Chu, who was involved in providing unlawfully obtained foreign passports, requested Kwan to supply him confidential information in relation to the Immigration Department’s grading on passports issued by different countries.
Chu paid the defendant various sums of money, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, for his assistance between 1990 and March 1999.
Between May 1994 and May 1997, the defendant was posted to Hong Kong’s Macau Terminal as Channel Supervisor, and had the discretion of determining the duration of stay granted to individual passengers.
Between December 1996 and September 1998, Chu had, on a number of occasions, asked Kwan to assist five Mainland citizens travelling with illegally obtained Brazilian and Peruvian passports to enter Hong Kong.
As a result of Kwan’s assistance and advice, these persons passed through the Immigration counter at the Hong Kong’s Macau Terminal without being queried by Immigration Officers.
The court heard that one of the Mainland citizens seeking Kwan’s assistance was suspected to be the head of a triad society in Hong Kong, and was wanted by the Government of the United States for alleged conspiracy to murder and arson.
Kwan had also instructed two of the Mainland citizens to arrange “false marriages” to obtain residence in Hong Kong, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by John Marray on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Eric Fung Chi-ming.
Kwan Che-ping, 51, was found guilty at the District Court today (Wednesday) on one count of conspiracy to accept, and 10 counts of accepting advantages as a public servant under Section 4 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that Kwan had conspired with former Senior Inspector of the Customs and Excise Department Philip Chu Hak-lan to accept money for Kwan to provide confidential information of the Immigration Department.
Kwan had also accepted about $27,000 and Renminbi 2,000 in total from from Chu, Chui Hong-man and Jiang Tao for assisting a number of persons to enter Hong Kong and to obtain a right of residence.
The offences took place between 1990 and 1998.
Judge Bernard Whaley today adjourned the case to July 21, 2000 for sentence, and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that Kwan was acquainted with Chu in 1983. Since then, Chu, who was involved in providing unlawfully obtained foreign passports, requested Kwan to supply him confidential information in relation to the Immigration Department’s grading on passports issued by different countries.
Chu paid the defendant various sums of money, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, for his assistance between 1990 and March 1999.
Between May 1994 and May 1997, the defendant was posted to Hong Kong’s Macau Terminal as Channel Supervisor, and had the discretion of determining the duration of stay granted to individual passengers.
Between December 1996 and September 1998, Chu had, on a number of occasions, asked Kwan to assist five Mainland citizens travelling with illegally obtained Brazilian and Peruvian passports to enter Hong Kong.
As a result of Kwan’s assistance and advice, these persons passed through the Immigration counter at the Hong Kong’s Macau Terminal without being queried by Immigration Officers.
The court heard that one of the Mainland citizens seeking Kwan’s assistance was suspected to be the head of a triad society in Hong Kong, and was wanted by the Government of the United States for alleged conspiracy to murder and arson.
Kwan had also instructed two of the Mainland citizens to arrange “false marriages” to obtain residence in Hong Kong, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by John Marray on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Eric Fung Chi-ming.