19 FEHD officers charged for perversion over alleged 'staged arrests' of hawkers
2001-8-24
Nineteen serving Hawker Control Grade officers of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) were today (Friday) charged by the ICAC for their alleged involvement in a scheme whereby "staged" arrests of hawkers were made at Yan Oi Court in Kwun Tong.
Two Senior Hawker Control Officers (SHCOs), four Hawker Control Officers (HCOs) and 13 Assistant Hawker Control Officers (AHCOs), all currently on ICAC bail, will appear at 9:30 am in Kwun Tong Court next Monday (August 27) to face one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The defendants are Wong Shing-yim, 57, Yeung How-hang, 53, both SHCOs; Yung Hon-fui, 50, Tang Wai-keung, 50, Ip Hon-mo, 47, Cheung Tim-lam, 48, all HCOs; Tung Kwai-fuk, 41, Lau Kwong-fai, 34, Li Kwok-chuen, 40, Chan Wing-chi, 44, Chan Ho-kwong, 37, Yuen W an-ip, 45, Kam Suk-fong, 38, Cheung Wing-chong, 47, Lau Shek-ping, 53, Chow Wing-cheong, 37, Chan Chi-shing, 40, Leung Hing-kwan, 48, and Liu Chi-cheung, 44, all AHCOs.
They were attached to the Kwun Tong District Hawkers Section of the then Urban Services Department at the time of the alleged offence.
The charge alleged that between May 1, 1997 and March 31, 1999, the defendants had conspired with a former AHCO, two other AHCOs and other persons to pervert the course of public justice, by arresting certain hawkers for the offence of causing obstruction at Yan Oi Court in Kwun Tong, knowing or believing that the hawkers had not committed the offence.
The case arose from a referral from FEHD, which suspected that some Hawker Control Grade officers might have accepted bribes from hawkers at Yan Oi Court for allowing "staged arrests" and not taking proper enforcement action. ICAC enquiries revealed the alleged perversion offence.
The 19 defendants were among 21 persons arrested in an ICAC operation in October last year. Eleven hawkers operating at Yan Oi Court were also arrested by the ICAC in connection with the case prior to the operation.
The arrested officers had allegedly allowed hawkers to take turns to offer themselves for arrest on numerous occasions.
It was alleged that such hawkers had turned up according to an agreed "duty roster".
The ICAC received full co-operation and assistance from FEHD throughout its investigation.
Two Senior Hawker Control Officers (SHCOs), four Hawker Control Officers (HCOs) and 13 Assistant Hawker Control Officers (AHCOs), all currently on ICAC bail, will appear at 9:30 am in Kwun Tong Court next Monday (August 27) to face one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
The defendants are Wong Shing-yim, 57, Yeung How-hang, 53, both SHCOs; Yung Hon-fui, 50, Tang Wai-keung, 50, Ip Hon-mo, 47, Cheung Tim-lam, 48, all HCOs; Tung Kwai-fuk, 41, Lau Kwong-fai, 34, Li Kwok-chuen, 40, Chan Wing-chi, 44, Chan Ho-kwong, 37, Yuen W an-ip, 45, Kam Suk-fong, 38, Cheung Wing-chong, 47, Lau Shek-ping, 53, Chow Wing-cheong, 37, Chan Chi-shing, 40, Leung Hing-kwan, 48, and Liu Chi-cheung, 44, all AHCOs.
They were attached to the Kwun Tong District Hawkers Section of the then Urban Services Department at the time of the alleged offence.
The charge alleged that between May 1, 1997 and March 31, 1999, the defendants had conspired with a former AHCO, two other AHCOs and other persons to pervert the course of public justice, by arresting certain hawkers for the offence of causing obstruction at Yan Oi Court in Kwun Tong, knowing or believing that the hawkers had not committed the offence.
The case arose from a referral from FEHD, which suspected that some Hawker Control Grade officers might have accepted bribes from hawkers at Yan Oi Court for allowing "staged arrests" and not taking proper enforcement action. ICAC enquiries revealed the alleged perversion offence.
The 19 defendants were among 21 persons arrested in an ICAC operation in October last year. Eleven hawkers operating at Yan Oi Court were also arrested by the ICAC in connection with the case prior to the operation.
The arrested officers had allegedly allowed hawkers to take turns to offer themselves for arrest on numerous occasions.
It was alleged that such hawkers had turned up according to an agreed "duty roster".
The ICAC received full co-operation and assistance from FEHD throughout its investigation.