The Tuen Mun Court today (Thursday) meted out prison terms to two men who posed as Customs and Excise (C&E) officers to deceive "bribes" from illegal oil stations and shops selling pirated or pornographic video compact discs (VCDs).

Lee Kam-ming, 32, and Choi Chung-pong, 24, both unemployed, were respectively jailed for 12 months and nine months by Magistrate Mr Ricky Chan.

In sentencing, the magistrate said the defendants had destroyed the trust which the public rightly placed in law enforcement officers.

The magistrate also reprimanded the defendants for their cowardly and shameful acts.

Lee Kam-ming and Choi Chung-pong were convicted on one joint charge of conspiracy to obtain property by deception, while Choi pleaded guilty to a further charge of possessing five false C&E warrant cards.

The duo was said to have conspired with former policemen Lai King-man and Lee Kar-wah to obtain cash payments of about $24,300 from operators and keepers of pirated VCD shops and illicit fuel stations between February and March this year.

The gang had posed as C&E officers and claimed that they could protect their illegal business.

Lai King-man and another unemployed man Chung Wai-yip were earlier jailed for 14 months and nine months respectively for the scam, while Lee Kar-wah was today fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to one count of possessing a radio transceiver without a lice nce.

The ICAC earlier received corruption allegations made against C&E officers. Subsequent inquiries found no evidence showing any C&E officer was involved in corruption in relation to this case.

However, it was revealed that a gang had plotted to con operators of VCD shops and illegal oil stations by claiming to be C&E officers.

The prosecution was today represented by Paul Chiu on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Samson Wong.