Four who allegedly posed as customs officers to obtain 'bribes' face ICAC charges
2000-8-24
Four unemployed men who allegedly posed as Customs and Excise (C&E) Officers to deceive about $23,000 "bribes" from illegal oil stations and shops selling pirated or pornographic video compact discs (VCDs) were today (Thursday) charged by the ICAC.
Lai King-man, 25, and Lee Kar-wah, 32, both former policemen; Lee Kam-ming, 32, and Choi Chung-pong, 24, will appear at Tuen Mun Magistracy tomorrow (August 25) at 9:30 am on a total of seven charges.
The ICAC earlier received corruption allegations against C&E officers.
Subsequent inquiries found no evidence showing C&E officers were involved in corruption but revealed that a group of six people had allegedly plotted to con operators of VCD shops and illegal oil stations by pretending to be C&E officers.
The four defendants were among the five arrested during an ICAC operation in March.
They now face a joint charge of conspiracy to dishonestly obtain from operators and keepers of pirated VCD shops and illicit fuel stations cash payments by falsely representing that they themselves were C&E officers between February and March in 2000.
The alleged imposters were said to have claimed that they could protect their illegal business from investigation by C&E.
Lai, Lee Kar-wah and Lee Kam-ming face one count of using false warrant cards of C&E in March 2000 with the intention to induce others to accept the cards as genuine.
Lai alone further faces three counts of similar charges.
Choi has been charged with one count of possessing five false C&E warrant cards, while Lee Kar-wah faces one count of possessing a radio transceiver without an appropriate licence under the Telecommunications Ordinance.
The fifth person arrested in connection with the ICAC's investigation, Chung Wai-yip, was sentenced by the court to nine months' jail for conspiracy to obtain property by deception in March this year.
Lai King-man, 25, and Lee Kar-wah, 32, both former policemen; Lee Kam-ming, 32, and Choi Chung-pong, 24, will appear at Tuen Mun Magistracy tomorrow (August 25) at 9:30 am on a total of seven charges.
The ICAC earlier received corruption allegations against C&E officers.
Subsequent inquiries found no evidence showing C&E officers were involved in corruption but revealed that a group of six people had allegedly plotted to con operators of VCD shops and illegal oil stations by pretending to be C&E officers.
The four defendants were among the five arrested during an ICAC operation in March.
They now face a joint charge of conspiracy to dishonestly obtain from operators and keepers of pirated VCD shops and illicit fuel stations cash payments by falsely representing that they themselves were C&E officers between February and March in 2000.
The alleged imposters were said to have claimed that they could protect their illegal business from investigation by C&E.
Lai, Lee Kar-wah and Lee Kam-ming face one count of using false warrant cards of C&E in March 2000 with the intention to induce others to accept the cards as genuine.
Lai alone further faces three counts of similar charges.
Choi has been charged with one count of possessing five false C&E warrant cards, while Lee Kar-wah faces one count of possessing a radio transceiver without an appropriate licence under the Telecommunications Ordinance.
The fifth person arrested in connection with the ICAC's investigation, Chung Wai-yip, was sentenced by the court to nine months' jail for conspiracy to obtain property by deception in March this year.