Trio jailed for graft facilitated $2.7m mobile phone smuggle
2002-1-28
A businessman and two former employees of a security company were today (Monday) sent to jail for a corruption facilitated smuggling scam involving $2.7 million worth of mobile phones and phone batteries.
Chau Sau-kit, 41, proprietor of Shing Fat Trading Company (Shing Fat) who instigated the scam, was sentenced by the District Court to three years and three months.
Hui Ping-kee, 51 and Sze Ho-chun, 54, respectively former Security Guard and Crew Commander of Securicor HK Limited (Securicor), were respectively jailed for two years and 10 months.
They had received bribes to use the security company's armoured vehicles to smuggle the mobile phones and accessories to the Mainland.
Judge Peter Line ordered Hui and Sze to return bribe money, totalling $14,000, to Securicor, and confiscated the seized mobile phones and phone batteries.
The judge remarked that while it reflected the very serious nature of corruption, the scam had also caused gross financial losses to the Mainland government.
The defendants were charged with three charges of conspiracy to offer advantages and export unmanifested goods. Hui and Sze earlier pleaded guilty, while Chau was convicted after trial.
Hui and Chau Sau-kit were convicted of one count of conspiring with Sze, Chow Cho-fung and Wong Man-sau to export unmanifested goods, namely mobile phones and accessories.
Chow Cho-fung, an employee of Shing Fat, was acquitted after trial; while Wong, now deceased, was a Securicor staff while the offence took place.
Hui and Chau were also convicted of one count of conspiring to offer cash payments to Hui for delivering mobile phones and accessories by an armoured vehicle of Securicor.
Sze admitted a third charge of having conspired with Hui to offer cash payments to Sze for a similar reason.
The case originated from a corruption complaint, alleging that some crew members of Securicor might have bribed their crew controller for favourable postings. However, ICAC investigations later revealed the graft facilitated smuggling activities.
The defendants were arrested by the ICAC during an operation in August 2000, when an armoured vehicle of Securicor was intercepted at Man Kam To Control Point.
Both Hui and Sze were on duty for the company and Hui was driving the company's vehicle heading for the Mainland.
ICAC officers seized 950 mobile phones and 928 phone batteries, of an estimated value of $2.78 million, from the vehicle.
The court heard that between October 1999 and August 2000, the defendants had been helping Chau and Chow smuggle mobile phones and phone batteries across the border two to three times a week.
For each delivery, Chau gave Hui $2,000 to $5,000 as a reward, out of which $500 to $2,000 was paid to Sze for his assistance.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hay-yiu on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.
Chau Sau-kit, 41, proprietor of Shing Fat Trading Company (Shing Fat) who instigated the scam, was sentenced by the District Court to three years and three months.
Hui Ping-kee, 51 and Sze Ho-chun, 54, respectively former Security Guard and Crew Commander of Securicor HK Limited (Securicor), were respectively jailed for two years and 10 months.
They had received bribes to use the security company's armoured vehicles to smuggle the mobile phones and accessories to the Mainland.
Judge Peter Line ordered Hui and Sze to return bribe money, totalling $14,000, to Securicor, and confiscated the seized mobile phones and phone batteries.
The judge remarked that while it reflected the very serious nature of corruption, the scam had also caused gross financial losses to the Mainland government.
The defendants were charged with three charges of conspiracy to offer advantages and export unmanifested goods. Hui and Sze earlier pleaded guilty, while Chau was convicted after trial.
Hui and Chau Sau-kit were convicted of one count of conspiring with Sze, Chow Cho-fung and Wong Man-sau to export unmanifested goods, namely mobile phones and accessories.
Chow Cho-fung, an employee of Shing Fat, was acquitted after trial; while Wong, now deceased, was a Securicor staff while the offence took place.
Hui and Chau were also convicted of one count of conspiring to offer cash payments to Hui for delivering mobile phones and accessories by an armoured vehicle of Securicor.
Sze admitted a third charge of having conspired with Hui to offer cash payments to Sze for a similar reason.
The case originated from a corruption complaint, alleging that some crew members of Securicor might have bribed their crew controller for favourable postings. However, ICAC investigations later revealed the graft facilitated smuggling activities.
The defendants were arrested by the ICAC during an operation in August 2000, when an armoured vehicle of Securicor was intercepted at Man Kam To Control Point.
Both Hui and Sze were on duty for the company and Hui was driving the company's vehicle heading for the Mainland.
ICAC officers seized 950 mobile phones and 928 phone batteries, of an estimated value of $2.78 million, from the vehicle.
The court heard that between October 1999 and August 2000, the defendants had been helping Chau and Chow smuggle mobile phones and phone batteries across the border two to three times a week.
For each delivery, Chau gave Hui $2,000 to $5,000 as a reward, out of which $500 to $2,000 was paid to Sze for his assistance.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hay-yiu on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Lawrence Hong.