Thirty face ICAC charges for alleged forged bus pass bribery scam
2001-8-7
Thirty people, arrested earlier by the ICAC in relation to an alleged bribery scam to forge dependant travel passes of New World First Bus Services Limited (First Bus), were charged and appeared in Eastern Court today (Tuesday) at separate hearings.
ICAC investigations revealed that the syndicate allegedly sold the forged passes at $800 to $1,800 each, depending on the period of validity of individual passes.
In the first case, 12 of the defendants, including the alleged syndicate heads and middlemen, faced a total of 18 charges, including conspiracy to forge instruments, fraud, possessing false instruments and offering an advantage to a public servant, which allegedly took place between August 1998 and April this year.
The defendants are: Lau Tat-fai, 39, Wong Sum-chung, 37, Lee Tin-yau, 46, Man Wai-chung, 30, Chan Tai-wai, 31, Leong Chui-yee, 29, Leung Hon-wing, 30, Lai Suk-fun, 24, Chan Chi-wai, 31, Lau Wai-lung, 29, Lau Yat-leung, 20, and Wong Wai-man, 31.
No pleas were taken. Magistrate Mr Robert McNair adjourned the case to September 7, 2001, pending transfer to the District Court. The defendants were granted cash bail.
Lau Tat-fai, Wong Sum-chung and Lee Tin-yau were said to have conspired with others to make false instruments, namely Staff Travel Passes and/or Dependant Travel Passes of First Bus.
Wong Sum-chung, Leong Chui-yee and Lau Yat-leung were alleged of possessing a total of 10 of those false passess, while Wong Sum-chung was further charged with offering $1,000 to First Bus driver Wong Tak-ming for the latter to provide a Dependant Travel Pass.
The defendants, except Lau Yat-leung, were also said to have falsely represented to drivers of First Bus that the passes were genuine and allowed them to travel free of charge on the buses of First Bus.
Meanwhile, the remaining 18 defendants appeared in the same court in separate cases.
The defendants are: Wong Tak-ming, 39, Lau Shu-kee, 28, Yu Sim-kam, 28, Chung Lai-fat, 27, Yung Wing-chi, 27, Tai Leung-tang, 56, Chan Yik-man, 35, Lam Yuk-ying, 52, Chan Kam-wa, 44, Leong Kin-chuen, 34, Lam Oi-wah, 30, Cheung Yuk-mei, 56, Leung Chi-hung, 34, Wong Chi-kin, 33, Ng Yeuk-ying, 30, Man Yuen-ki, 21, Hung Shuk-ping, 39, and Wong Wing-shing, 30.
Except Wong Tak-ming and Wong Wing-shing, the defendants, who were the end-users of the forged passes, each pleaded guilty to one count of fraud. They were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and a fine ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
Wong Wing-shing pleaded not guilty to one count of fraud and will face trial on November 1, 2001.
Wong Tak-ming, a First Bus driver, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to forge a Dependant Travel Pass of First Bus. The case was adjourned to November 2, 2001 for trial.
Both Wong Wing-shing and Wong Tak-ming were granted cash bail.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ian McWalters, assisted by ICAC officer Tang Chi-kong.
ICAC investigations revealed that the syndicate allegedly sold the forged passes at $800 to $1,800 each, depending on the period of validity of individual passes.
In the first case, 12 of the defendants, including the alleged syndicate heads and middlemen, faced a total of 18 charges, including conspiracy to forge instruments, fraud, possessing false instruments and offering an advantage to a public servant, which allegedly took place between August 1998 and April this year.
The defendants are: Lau Tat-fai, 39, Wong Sum-chung, 37, Lee Tin-yau, 46, Man Wai-chung, 30, Chan Tai-wai, 31, Leong Chui-yee, 29, Leung Hon-wing, 30, Lai Suk-fun, 24, Chan Chi-wai, 31, Lau Wai-lung, 29, Lau Yat-leung, 20, and Wong Wai-man, 31.
No pleas were taken. Magistrate Mr Robert McNair adjourned the case to September 7, 2001, pending transfer to the District Court. The defendants were granted cash bail.
Lau Tat-fai, Wong Sum-chung and Lee Tin-yau were said to have conspired with others to make false instruments, namely Staff Travel Passes and/or Dependant Travel Passes of First Bus.
Wong Sum-chung, Leong Chui-yee and Lau Yat-leung were alleged of possessing a total of 10 of those false passess, while Wong Sum-chung was further charged with offering $1,000 to First Bus driver Wong Tak-ming for the latter to provide a Dependant Travel Pass.
The defendants, except Lau Yat-leung, were also said to have falsely represented to drivers of First Bus that the passes were genuine and allowed them to travel free of charge on the buses of First Bus.
Meanwhile, the remaining 18 defendants appeared in the same court in separate cases.
The defendants are: Wong Tak-ming, 39, Lau Shu-kee, 28, Yu Sim-kam, 28, Chung Lai-fat, 27, Yung Wing-chi, 27, Tai Leung-tang, 56, Chan Yik-man, 35, Lam Yuk-ying, 52, Chan Kam-wa, 44, Leong Kin-chuen, 34, Lam Oi-wah, 30, Cheung Yuk-mei, 56, Leung Chi-hung, 34, Wong Chi-kin, 33, Ng Yeuk-ying, 30, Man Yuen-ki, 21, Hung Shuk-ping, 39, and Wong Wing-shing, 30.
Except Wong Tak-ming and Wong Wing-shing, the defendants, who were the end-users of the forged passes, each pleaded guilty to one count of fraud. They were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and a fine ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
Wong Wing-shing pleaded not guilty to one count of fraud and will face trial on November 1, 2001.
Wong Tak-ming, a First Bus driver, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to forge a Dependant Travel Pass of First Bus. The case was adjourned to November 2, 2001 for trial.
Both Wong Wing-shing and Wong Tak-ming were granted cash bail.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ian McWalters, assisted by ICAC officer Tang Chi-kong.