Former Citybus staff jailed for pocketing bus fare
2001-5-9
A former employee of the Citybus Group Limited (Citybus) was today (Wednesday) sentenced to four months' imprisonment at Eastern Court for stealing bus fare totalling $22,000 from coin-boxes at Citybus' Fo Tan depot in Shatin.
Tsoi Kam-piu, 38, former Coin Collector of Citybus, today pleaded guilty to two theft charges of stealing $22,180 in total from Citybus between August 28 and September 29 last year.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Eddie Yip said the case was not a simple theft, for the defendant had embezzled company funds.
The magistrate also ordered Tsoi to return the stolen money to Citybus.
Tsoi, while employed by Citybus, was responsible for removing locked coin-boxes from buses which had returned to the Fo Tan depot after a day's service.
Tsoi was to stack the coin-boxes at a designated place of storage until a security company authorized by Citybus came to collect them later during the day. He was not given any key, nor was he authorized to open such coin-boxes.
The court heard that on September 12 last year, the defendant, while on duty at the depot, opened some coin-boxes with two keys and stole money from the boxes. The incident was spotted by a colleague, who then reported to the Citybus management.
The Citybus management subsequently reported the matter to the ICAC, suspecting that the defendant might have obtained duplicate keys by corrupt means.
The ICAC set up a concealed camera at a kiosk of the depot. Between September 21 and September 29 last year, the defendant was seen stealing money from coin-boxes whilst on duty.
The defendant was intercepted by ICAC officers at the depot in the early morning of September 29 last year. One hundred and fourteen $20 banknotes, one $10 banknote, 21 $10 coins and two keys were recovered from the defendant.
When interviewed under caution, the defendant admitted that he had earlier stolen the money from locked coin-boxes. He also admitted that he had reproduced the keys from an abandoned bolt of a coin-box.
During a search at the defendant's residence, another 250 $20 banknotes were seized. The defendant admitted that the money was also stolen from coin-boxes between August 28 and September 28 last year.
He further identified two deposits from his bank passbooks, respectively $8,000 and $6,380, as proceeds of thefts, and claimed that he had earlier spent $300 of stolen money.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Christal Chan, assisted by ICAC officer Christina Chan.
Tsoi Kam-piu, 38, former Coin Collector of Citybus, today pleaded guilty to two theft charges of stealing $22,180 in total from Citybus between August 28 and September 29 last year.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Eddie Yip said the case was not a simple theft, for the defendant had embezzled company funds.
The magistrate also ordered Tsoi to return the stolen money to Citybus.
Tsoi, while employed by Citybus, was responsible for removing locked coin-boxes from buses which had returned to the Fo Tan depot after a day's service.
Tsoi was to stack the coin-boxes at a designated place of storage until a security company authorized by Citybus came to collect them later during the day. He was not given any key, nor was he authorized to open such coin-boxes.
The court heard that on September 12 last year, the defendant, while on duty at the depot, opened some coin-boxes with two keys and stole money from the boxes. The incident was spotted by a colleague, who then reported to the Citybus management.
The Citybus management subsequently reported the matter to the ICAC, suspecting that the defendant might have obtained duplicate keys by corrupt means.
The ICAC set up a concealed camera at a kiosk of the depot. Between September 21 and September 29 last year, the defendant was seen stealing money from coin-boxes whilst on duty.
The defendant was intercepted by ICAC officers at the depot in the early morning of September 29 last year. One hundred and fourteen $20 banknotes, one $10 banknote, 21 $10 coins and two keys were recovered from the defendant.
When interviewed under caution, the defendant admitted that he had earlier stolen the money from locked coin-boxes. He also admitted that he had reproduced the keys from an abandoned bolt of a coin-box.
During a search at the defendant's residence, another 250 $20 banknotes were seized. The defendant admitted that the money was also stolen from coin-boxes between August 28 and September 28 last year.
He further identified two deposits from his bank passbooks, respectively $8,000 and $6,380, as proceeds of thefts, and claimed that he had earlier spent $300 of stolen money.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Christal Chan, assisted by ICAC officer Christina Chan.