FEHD staff gets suspended sentence for cheating $870,600 in housing loan
2001-12-3
An Overseer of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) was today (Monday) sentenced to four months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Tsuen Wan Court for cheating a government housing loan of $870,600.
Poon Siu-ki, 52, today pleaded guilty to one count of using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Magistrate Ms Adriana Ching said the offence was a serious breach of trust. However, taking into account Poon's guilty plea, his good background as well as the likely consequence of losing his job and pension, a suspended jail sentence was imposed.
The court heard that while being an Overseer of the then Regional Services Department, Poon purchased a property worth $1,650,000 in Nice Year Garden, Siu Hang Tsuen, Tuen Mun through Po Wah Property Agency on August 10, 1999.
Ten days later, Poon submitted an application for housing loan under the Government Housing Loan Scheme, on which he declared that he had read and understood the relevant Civil Service Regulation and the terms and conditions governing the granting of the housing loan.
Under the regulation, he was required to personally live in the accommodation as his full-time residence, and not allowed to let or sub-let the accommodation for any purpose other than residence for himself and his family.
The application was approved on September 9, 1999, and the government released a $870,600 loan to Poon on September 15, 1999.
On September 20, 1999, a man viewed the defendant's property through a property agency and subsequently entered into a tenancy agreement with the defendant to rent the property for $5,000 per month for two years, starting from November 1, 1999.
Enquiries confirmed that the defendant had never lived in the property financed with the government loan. Instead he rented a room in a Tai Po residential building for accommodation for $2,500 per month.
The prosecution was today represented by Steven Kwan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Angel Ng.
Poon Siu-ki, 52, today pleaded guilty to one count of using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Magistrate Ms Adriana Ching said the offence was a serious breach of trust. However, taking into account Poon's guilty plea, his good background as well as the likely consequence of losing his job and pension, a suspended jail sentence was imposed.
The court heard that while being an Overseer of the then Regional Services Department, Poon purchased a property worth $1,650,000 in Nice Year Garden, Siu Hang Tsuen, Tuen Mun through Po Wah Property Agency on August 10, 1999.
Ten days later, Poon submitted an application for housing loan under the Government Housing Loan Scheme, on which he declared that he had read and understood the relevant Civil Service Regulation and the terms and conditions governing the granting of the housing loan.
Under the regulation, he was required to personally live in the accommodation as his full-time residence, and not allowed to let or sub-let the accommodation for any purpose other than residence for himself and his family.
The application was approved on September 9, 1999, and the government released a $870,600 loan to Poon on September 15, 1999.
On September 20, 1999, a man viewed the defendant's property through a property agency and subsequently entered into a tenancy agreement with the defendant to rent the property for $5,000 per month for two years, starting from November 1, 1999.
Enquiries confirmed that the defendant had never lived in the property financed with the government loan. Instead he rented a room in a Tai Po residential building for accommodation for $2,500 per month.
The prosecution was today represented by Steven Kwan on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Angel Ng.