Last batch of defendants sentenced for bus pass bribery scam
2002-1-16
The last batch of defendants convicted in connection with a forged bus pass scam facilitated by bribery were today (Wednesday) sentenced at District Court.
The defendants were Man Wai-chung, 30, assistant manager; Chan Tai-wai, 32, printer; Leong Chui-yee, 30, printer; Leung Hon-wing, 30, printer; Lai Suk-fun, 24, accounts clerk; Chan Chi-wai, 32, furniture shop proprietor; Lau Wai-lung, 30, beautician; Lau Yat-leung, 21, casual worker; and Wong Wai-man, 32, assistant manager.
They had acted as "middlemen" for a syndicate which made illegal profits by forging dependant travel passes of New World First Bus Services Limited (First Bus).
Judge Wesley Wong ordered each of them to serve 180 hours of community service.
The nine defendants were among 30 charged by the ICAC for the scam. They earlier pleaded guilty to a total of 19 offences, including conspiracy to defraud and possession of forged bus passes.
During the operation, a total of 63 forged First Bus dependant travel passes were seized - 32 of them were for the year of 2000 while the remaining were for 2001.
The court heard that the nine defendants and three syndicate heads - Lau Tat-fai, Wong Sum-chung and Lee Tin-yau - had conspired with other persons to defraud First Bus by selling or distributing forged First Bus dependant travel passes to persons whom th ey knew were not entitled to use them.
Except Lau Yat-leung, the eight defendants had also used the forged passes themselves, by falsely representing to drivers of First Bus that the forged passes presented by them were genuine.
To facilitate the forgery activities, Wong Sum-chung had obtained a genuine pass as a sample from First Bus driver Wong Tak-ming for a bribe of $1,000.
The syndicate had sold the forged one-year passes for $800 to $1,800 each.
The offences took place between August 1998 and April last year.
The three syndicate heads were each sentenced to 17 months' imprisonment in December last year, while Wong Sum-chung was also fined $4,000.
The former bus driver, Wong Tak-ming, 39, and 17 other forged pass users were sentenced to suspended terms, fines or community service.
The prosecution was today represented by Peter Ip on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Tang Chi-kong.
The defendants were Man Wai-chung, 30, assistant manager; Chan Tai-wai, 32, printer; Leong Chui-yee, 30, printer; Leung Hon-wing, 30, printer; Lai Suk-fun, 24, accounts clerk; Chan Chi-wai, 32, furniture shop proprietor; Lau Wai-lung, 30, beautician; Lau Yat-leung, 21, casual worker; and Wong Wai-man, 32, assistant manager.
They had acted as "middlemen" for a syndicate which made illegal profits by forging dependant travel passes of New World First Bus Services Limited (First Bus).
Judge Wesley Wong ordered each of them to serve 180 hours of community service.
The nine defendants were among 30 charged by the ICAC for the scam. They earlier pleaded guilty to a total of 19 offences, including conspiracy to defraud and possession of forged bus passes.
During the operation, a total of 63 forged First Bus dependant travel passes were seized - 32 of them were for the year of 2000 while the remaining were for 2001.
The court heard that the nine defendants and three syndicate heads - Lau Tat-fai, Wong Sum-chung and Lee Tin-yau - had conspired with other persons to defraud First Bus by selling or distributing forged First Bus dependant travel passes to persons whom th ey knew were not entitled to use them.
Except Lau Yat-leung, the eight defendants had also used the forged passes themselves, by falsely representing to drivers of First Bus that the forged passes presented by them were genuine.
To facilitate the forgery activities, Wong Sum-chung had obtained a genuine pass as a sample from First Bus driver Wong Tak-ming for a bribe of $1,000.
The syndicate had sold the forged one-year passes for $800 to $1,800 each.
The offences took place between August 1998 and April last year.
The three syndicate heads were each sentenced to 17 months' imprisonment in December last year, while Wong Sum-chung was also fined $4,000.
The former bus driver, Wong Tak-ming, 39, and 17 other forged pass users were sentenced to suspended terms, fines or community service.
The prosecution was today represented by Peter Ip on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Tang Chi-kong.