Immigration Officer and businessman charged over alleged graft facilitated visa extension scheme
2002-1-18
An Immigration Officer and a businessman, arrested by the ICAC on Wednesday (January 16) in relation to suspected bribery over the granting of visa extension to overseas workers, were charged by the ICAC and brought to Eastern Court this (Friday) afternoo n.
The ICAC earlier received information alleging that the officer might have accepted advantages from a number of persons in return for extending their visas for staying in Hong Kong.
An ambush operation was mounted on Wednesday, where the officer and a businessman were arrested by ICAC officers, and a number of exhibits, including a stack of blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR, were seized.
Tso Tak-keung, 40, attached to the Visa Extension Section, and Ho Wan-chung Alan, 41, appeared before Magistrate Mr Ian Candy on eight charges.
No pleas were taken, and the case was adjourned to February 8, 2002. Tso was remanded in the custody of the ICAC, while Ho was granted bail of $30,000 in cash and was ordered not to leave Hong Kong, surrender his travel documents and report daily to the Police.
Tso alone faced seven alleged offences, while the two defendants were jointly charged with one conspiracy offence.
Three of the charges alleged Tso of accepting $11,000 in total from ZEE Tan David and SINGSAT Song as rewards for expediting the applications for extension of visa of KUANLUANG Jamnian, PHOCHAISRI Wilailak and SINGSAT Song, contrary to Section 4(2) (a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
A fourth charge alleged Tso of accepting $2,000 from Ho Wan-chung Alan for unlawfully providing to the latter blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR from the Immigration Department.
The Immigration Officer was also charged with one count of soliciting a $20,000 loan from SINGSAT Song without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive, under Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
A sixth charge alleged Tso of conspiring with SINPROM PRANEE to accept advantages from a number of persons for expediting the latter's applications for extension of visa.
The alleged advantages were said to be calculated at $500 to $1,000 per each application.
Tso was further charged with one count of stealing 50 blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR belonging to the Government.
Tso and Ho were jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to make false Permits to Land in the HKSAR.
The alleged offences took place between November 2001 and January 2002.
The Immigration Department rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Petrus Au.
The ICAC earlier received information alleging that the officer might have accepted advantages from a number of persons in return for extending their visas for staying in Hong Kong.
An ambush operation was mounted on Wednesday, where the officer and a businessman were arrested by ICAC officers, and a number of exhibits, including a stack of blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR, were seized.
Tso Tak-keung, 40, attached to the Visa Extension Section, and Ho Wan-chung Alan, 41, appeared before Magistrate Mr Ian Candy on eight charges.
No pleas were taken, and the case was adjourned to February 8, 2002. Tso was remanded in the custody of the ICAC, while Ho was granted bail of $30,000 in cash and was ordered not to leave Hong Kong, surrender his travel documents and report daily to the Police.
Tso alone faced seven alleged offences, while the two defendants were jointly charged with one conspiracy offence.
Three of the charges alleged Tso of accepting $11,000 in total from ZEE Tan David and SINGSAT Song as rewards for expediting the applications for extension of visa of KUANLUANG Jamnian, PHOCHAISRI Wilailak and SINGSAT Song, contrary to Section 4(2) (a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
A fourth charge alleged Tso of accepting $2,000 from Ho Wan-chung Alan for unlawfully providing to the latter blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR from the Immigration Department.
The Immigration Officer was also charged with one count of soliciting a $20,000 loan from SINGSAT Song without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive, under Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
A sixth charge alleged Tso of conspiring with SINPROM PRANEE to accept advantages from a number of persons for expediting the latter's applications for extension of visa.
The alleged advantages were said to be calculated at $500 to $1,000 per each application.
Tso was further charged with one count of stealing 50 blank Permits to Land in the HKSAR belonging to the Government.
Tso and Ho were jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to make false Permits to Land in the HKSAR.
The alleged offences took place between November 2001 and January 2002.
The Immigration Department rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Petrus Au.