Three admit involvement in bogus marriage scams
2002-2-20
Eleven persons, charged by the ICAC with allegedly arranging and participating in bogus marriages with residents in Fujian Province of the Mainland, appeared in Kowloon City Court today (Wednesday).
Three of them - Chiu Yiu-bun, 46, and Fok Chi-hung, 47, both prisoners; and Chan Pui-ching, 28, unemployed - each pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud.
Chiu was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, with six months to run consecutively with his current jail sentence. Fok received an additional seven-month prison term.
Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin adjourned sentencing Chan until March 6, 2002, pending probation and community service order reports.
Eight other defendants were Kitty Chu Sau-kwan, 36, unemployed; Leung Wing-yeung, 32, unemployed; Yeung Hau-wan, 39, housewife; Wong Lok-yan, 21, nightclub hostess; Ngai Lok-yu, 42, unemployed; Lam Tak-choi, 53, unemployed; Ng Chi-keung, 46, unemployed; a nd Sum Wan-ching, 60, security guard.
They pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of conspiracy to defraud. The magistrate adjourned their case until March 20, 2002 for pre-trial review.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $3,000. They were also ordered not to leave Hong Kong, not to interfere with prosecution witnesses, to report to the Police three times a week, to reside in reported addresses, and to inform the Police of any change of address within 24 hours.
The court heard that Chiu, Fok and Chan were separately approached to participate in false marriages with Mainlanders and promised rewards of $1,500, $3,000 and $30,000 to $35,000 respectively.
The trio then went to the marriage registries to apply for the Certificates of Absence of Marriage Record (CAMR).
After collecting their CAMRs, they were taken to solicitors firms to make statutory declarations concerning their marriages.
These declarations and CAMRs were later submitted to China Legal Service (H.K.) Ltd (CLSL), a semi-official Mainland organisation which centralises all the applications in Hong Kong for vertification and onward transmission to the Mainland authorities.
CLSL personnel processed their applications, believing that they intended to get married with Mainland residents in Fujian Province.
Through these bogus marriages, the Mainland residents could then apply for one-way permits to Hong Kong on family re-union grounds.
Fok was also required to take photographs with his putative spouse in Shenzhen, but he could not meet this request after being arrested by the Police for separate offences.
Chan had also been asked to travel to Fujian Province to meet her putative spouse and to register the marriage there for a reward of $14,000. However, she later refused to go as she was not satisfied with the amount of reward.
Chiu was subsequently given rewards totalling $1,500, while Fok and Chan had not yet received any rewards for the scams.
The offences took place between July 1998 and May 2001.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Kitty Lau.
Three of them - Chiu Yiu-bun, 46, and Fok Chi-hung, 47, both prisoners; and Chan Pui-ching, 28, unemployed - each pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud.
Chiu was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, with six months to run consecutively with his current jail sentence. Fok received an additional seven-month prison term.
Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin adjourned sentencing Chan until March 6, 2002, pending probation and community service order reports.
Eight other defendants were Kitty Chu Sau-kwan, 36, unemployed; Leung Wing-yeung, 32, unemployed; Yeung Hau-wan, 39, housewife; Wong Lok-yan, 21, nightclub hostess; Ngai Lok-yu, 42, unemployed; Lam Tak-choi, 53, unemployed; Ng Chi-keung, 46, unemployed; a nd Sum Wan-ching, 60, security guard.
They pleaded not guilty to a total of seven counts of conspiracy to defraud. The magistrate adjourned their case until March 20, 2002 for pre-trial review.
The defendants were each granted cash bail of $3,000. They were also ordered not to leave Hong Kong, not to interfere with prosecution witnesses, to report to the Police three times a week, to reside in reported addresses, and to inform the Police of any change of address within 24 hours.
The court heard that Chiu, Fok and Chan were separately approached to participate in false marriages with Mainlanders and promised rewards of $1,500, $3,000 and $30,000 to $35,000 respectively.
The trio then went to the marriage registries to apply for the Certificates of Absence of Marriage Record (CAMR).
After collecting their CAMRs, they were taken to solicitors firms to make statutory declarations concerning their marriages.
These declarations and CAMRs were later submitted to China Legal Service (H.K.) Ltd (CLSL), a semi-official Mainland organisation which centralises all the applications in Hong Kong for vertification and onward transmission to the Mainland authorities.
CLSL personnel processed their applications, believing that they intended to get married with Mainland residents in Fujian Province.
Through these bogus marriages, the Mainland residents could then apply for one-way permits to Hong Kong on family re-union grounds.
Fok was also required to take photographs with his putative spouse in Shenzhen, but he could not meet this request after being arrested by the Police for separate offences.
Chan had also been asked to travel to Fujian Province to meet her putative spouse and to register the marriage there for a reward of $14,000. However, she later refused to go as she was not satisfied with the amount of reward.
Chiu was subsequently given rewards totalling $1,500, while Fok and Chan had not yet received any rewards for the scams.
The offences took place between July 1998 and May 2001.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Marco Li, assisted by ICAC officer Kitty Lau.