One more FEHD foreman jailed for sewage scam
2000-11-6
One more foreman of a nightshift gully emptying team of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) was sentenced for conspiring with his colleagues to defraud the government with falsified work records.
Fu Chung-wing, 41, was sentenced to five months' imprisonment at North Kowloon Court today (Monday).
Fu earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with drivers Wong Man-lung and Lo Pui-lam to defraud the Hong Kong Government between June 1998 and January 1999.
Fu had falsely represented that gully emptying duties were carried out in accordance with the work procedures of the FEHD, previously known as the Urban Services Department (USD).
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Frankie Yiu said the defendant's act constituted to a breach of trust, and that there was no special reason why he could be spared an immediate custodial sentence.
Rejecting the mitigation argument that the defendant was only conforming to the existing "culture" in the department, the magistrate said, as a foreman in charge of a gully cleaning team, he had taken the lead in committing the offence.
The magistrate also pointed out that the financial losses that the defendant had caused to the government were impossible to estimate.
The court heard that Fu was in charge of one of the gully emptying teams.
During most duty nights, he idled at the Sai Yee Street Depot of the then Urban Services Department in Mong Kok.
Instead of supervising the gully cleansing work, Fu instructed the drivers to make superficial journeys unconnected with his duty, and to fill up the gully emptier with tap water.
After discharging tap water at the West Kowloon Refuse Transfer Station, the drivers made false entries on the vehicle log book.
Fu signed on the log book to certify that the records were true.
Two other FEHD foremen were earlier jailed for eight months and six months respectively for similar offences.
The cases originated from a referral from the then Provisional Urban Council last year. ICAC enquiries revealed no evidence of corruption, but unearthed fraudulent practices of some gully emptying teams.
The prosecution was today represented by Cannise Chan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Allen Ting.
Fu Chung-wing, 41, was sentenced to five months' imprisonment at North Kowloon Court today (Monday).
Fu earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with drivers Wong Man-lung and Lo Pui-lam to defraud the Hong Kong Government between June 1998 and January 1999.
Fu had falsely represented that gully emptying duties were carried out in accordance with the work procedures of the FEHD, previously known as the Urban Services Department (USD).
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Frankie Yiu said the defendant's act constituted to a breach of trust, and that there was no special reason why he could be spared an immediate custodial sentence.
Rejecting the mitigation argument that the defendant was only conforming to the existing "culture" in the department, the magistrate said, as a foreman in charge of a gully cleaning team, he had taken the lead in committing the offence.
The magistrate also pointed out that the financial losses that the defendant had caused to the government were impossible to estimate.
The court heard that Fu was in charge of one of the gully emptying teams.
During most duty nights, he idled at the Sai Yee Street Depot of the then Urban Services Department in Mong Kok.
Instead of supervising the gully cleansing work, Fu instructed the drivers to make superficial journeys unconnected with his duty, and to fill up the gully emptier with tap water.
After discharging tap water at the West Kowloon Refuse Transfer Station, the drivers made false entries on the vehicle log book.
Fu signed on the log book to certify that the records were true.
Two other FEHD foremen were earlier jailed for eight months and six months respectively for similar offences.
The cases originated from a referral from the then Provisional Urban Council last year. ICAC enquiries revealed no evidence of corruption, but unearthed fraudulent practices of some gully emptying teams.
The prosecution was today represented by Cannise Chan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Allen Ting.