20 FEHD staff and one former officer arrested over 'staged arrest' of hawkers
2000-10-17
The ICAC today (Tuesday) arrested 20 serving and one former Hawker Control Grade officers of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) for their alleged involvement in a scheme whereby "staged" arrests of hawkers were made at Yan Oi Court in Kw un Tong.
The arrestees were one Senior Hawker Control Officer (SHCO), four Hawker Control Officers (HCOs), 15 Assistant Hawker Control Officers (AHCOs), and one former Assistant Hawker Control Officer. Five Workmen of FEHD were also interviewed.
The arrests were an extension of an earlier ICAC operation codenamed "Pinewind" which resulted in the arrest of seven hawkers in May this year.
The ICAC investigation arose from a referral from FEHD, which suspected that some Hawker Control Grade officers might have accepted bribes from hawkers at Yan Oi Court for allowing "staged arrests" and not taking proper enforcement action.
While posted to the Kwun Tong District Hawkers Section of the then Urban Services Department, the arrested officers had allegedly allowed hawkers to take turns to offer themselves for arrest on numerous occasions. The hawkers concerned, who were holders of Itinerant Hawker Licences, would await arrest every morning.
It was believed that such hawkers had turned up according to an agreed "duty roster". They usually brought with them handcarts of a smaller than normal size for the arrests.
Under this scheme, when fines were finally imposed on the "duty" hawkers, money would be collected from all hawkers operating on that day to cover the costs.
It was alleged that after the hawkers were escorted to the Kwun Tong Police Station, the HCOs would instruct AHCOs to respectively act as arresting and witnessing officers.
The arresting AHCOs would then make false statements on the Hawker Arrest Case Summaries that they had seen the hawkers causing obstruction in public places.
It was also suspected that the arrested SHCO was fully aware of the "staged arrest” arrangements and present in most of these raids.
Seven hawkers operating at Yan Oi Court, including two hawker leaders, were earlier arrested by the ICAC. They have been put on ICAC bail, pending further investigations.
The ICAC received full co-operation and assistance from FEHD throughout its investigation.
Among those arrested in the latest operation, 19 men and two women aged between 33 and 57, seven are being detained by the ICAC. The remaining 14 officers have been released on bail.
Enquiries are continuing.
The arrestees were one Senior Hawker Control Officer (SHCO), four Hawker Control Officers (HCOs), 15 Assistant Hawker Control Officers (AHCOs), and one former Assistant Hawker Control Officer. Five Workmen of FEHD were also interviewed.
The arrests were an extension of an earlier ICAC operation codenamed "Pinewind" which resulted in the arrest of seven hawkers in May this year.
The ICAC investigation arose from a referral from FEHD, which suspected that some Hawker Control Grade officers might have accepted bribes from hawkers at Yan Oi Court for allowing "staged arrests" and not taking proper enforcement action.
While posted to the Kwun Tong District Hawkers Section of the then Urban Services Department, the arrested officers had allegedly allowed hawkers to take turns to offer themselves for arrest on numerous occasions. The hawkers concerned, who were holders of Itinerant Hawker Licences, would await arrest every morning.
It was believed that such hawkers had turned up according to an agreed "duty roster". They usually brought with them handcarts of a smaller than normal size for the arrests.
Under this scheme, when fines were finally imposed on the "duty" hawkers, money would be collected from all hawkers operating on that day to cover the costs.
It was alleged that after the hawkers were escorted to the Kwun Tong Police Station, the HCOs would instruct AHCOs to respectively act as arresting and witnessing officers.
The arresting AHCOs would then make false statements on the Hawker Arrest Case Summaries that they had seen the hawkers causing obstruction in public places.
It was also suspected that the arrested SHCO was fully aware of the "staged arrest” arrangements and present in most of these raids.
Seven hawkers operating at Yan Oi Court, including two hawker leaders, were earlier arrested by the ICAC. They have been put on ICAC bail, pending further investigations.
The ICAC received full co-operation and assistance from FEHD throughout its investigation.
Among those arrested in the latest operation, 19 men and two women aged between 33 and 57, seven are being detained by the ICAC. The remaining 14 officers have been released on bail.
Enquiries are continuing.