Six months for former railway staff pocketing Octopus Card revenues
2001-1-11
A former Station Officer of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) was jailed for six months at the Eastern Court today (Thursday) for pocketing $71,350 generated from add-value transactions for Octopus Smart Cards (Octopus Cards).
Au Hing-leung, 36, charged by the ICAC, today pleaded guilty to one count of theft before Magistrate Mr Ian Candy.
In sentencing, the magistrate said that the offence committed by the defendant was serious and constituted a breach of trust.
The case arose from a referral from the KCRC management, who suspected that corruption might be involved in the theft activities.
The defendant was amongst 11 arrested in an ICAC operation in May last year.
Three other former Station Officers earlier received jail sentences ranging from four months to nine months for similar offences.
The court today heard that when the offence took place between May 26 and August 18, 1999, Au was a Station Officer attached to the Kowloon Tong Station responsible for operating add-value transactions for passengers' Octopus Cards in the ticket office.
The court was told that Au had stolen cash totalling $71,350 while processing add-value transactions by tampering with the Octopus Cards system.
Revenues generated from such transactions were properties of Creative Star Limited, which runs the Octopus system.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Gramsci DiFazio, assisted by ICAC officer Patrick Kwok.
Au Hing-leung, 36, charged by the ICAC, today pleaded guilty to one count of theft before Magistrate Mr Ian Candy.
In sentencing, the magistrate said that the offence committed by the defendant was serious and constituted a breach of trust.
The case arose from a referral from the KCRC management, who suspected that corruption might be involved in the theft activities.
The defendant was amongst 11 arrested in an ICAC operation in May last year.
Three other former Station Officers earlier received jail sentences ranging from four months to nine months for similar offences.
The court today heard that when the offence took place between May 26 and August 18, 1999, Au was a Station Officer attached to the Kowloon Tong Station responsible for operating add-value transactions for passengers' Octopus Cards in the ticket office.
The court was told that Au had stolen cash totalling $71,350 while processing add-value transactions by tampering with the Octopus Cards system.
Revenues generated from such transactions were properties of Creative Star Limited, which runs the Octopus system.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Gramsci DiFazio, assisted by ICAC officer Patrick Kwok.