Four sentenced for insurance fraud with 'staged' car crash
2002-6-19
Three men were today (Wednesday) jailed for up to 28 months at the District Court for swindling insurance claims of over $624,000 by arranging a spate of "staged" traffic accidents, while a co-conspirator was ordered to perform community service.
Ng Ting-fai, 32, proprietor of the now defunct Tune Up Auto Centre; Yan Chun-ming, 40 and Yip Hoi-shan, 32, both garage worker; and Wong Man-chung, 32, driver, earlier pleaded guilty to a total of six counts of conspiracy to defraud. The court ordered fo ur other conspiracy charges be left on file.
Ng was sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment, while Yan and Yip each received a 20-month jail term. Wong was sentenced to 240 hours of community service.
In sentencing, Judge Whaley said financial hardship pleaded by the defendants was not an excuse for committing the offences, which warranted deterrent sentences.
The case arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some insurance assessors might have been bribed to facilitate false claims of motor insurance.
ICAC investigations later revealed that a number of persons, including the defendants, had arranged a series of deliberate car crash incidents to deceive various insurance companies about $2.4 million.
Eight others had been charged earlier in relation to the investigation. They received jail sentences up to 38 1/2 months after pleading guilty.
The four defendants sentenced at District Court today earlier admitted having conspired with various persons to defraud officers of the Hong Kong Police Force by prejudicing them in the exercise of their public duties and various insurance companies, by d ishonestly:
- deliberately damaging certain motor vehicles;
- falsely making reports to the Hong Kong Police Force that there were accidents involving those motor vehicles;
- falsely making insurance claims for damages sustained by those vehicles; and
- falsely causing various insurance companies to pay compensation.
The court heard that the defendants had falsely made a number of reports to the Police that there were traffic accidents occurring at Castle Peak Road, Kwok Shui Road, Sam Tung Uk, Wo Yi Hop Road, and Chai Wan Kok Street.
As a result, the insurance companies released a total of $624,190 in compensation to Tune Up.
The offences took place between November 1996 and July 1998.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Derek Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Choi.
Ng Ting-fai, 32, proprietor of the now defunct Tune Up Auto Centre; Yan Chun-ming, 40 and Yip Hoi-shan, 32, both garage worker; and Wong Man-chung, 32, driver, earlier pleaded guilty to a total of six counts of conspiracy to defraud. The court ordered fo ur other conspiracy charges be left on file.
Ng was sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment, while Yan and Yip each received a 20-month jail term. Wong was sentenced to 240 hours of community service.
In sentencing, Judge Whaley said financial hardship pleaded by the defendants was not an excuse for committing the offences, which warranted deterrent sentences.
The case arose from a corruption complaint alleging that some insurance assessors might have been bribed to facilitate false claims of motor insurance.
ICAC investigations later revealed that a number of persons, including the defendants, had arranged a series of deliberate car crash incidents to deceive various insurance companies about $2.4 million.
Eight others had been charged earlier in relation to the investigation. They received jail sentences up to 38 1/2 months after pleading guilty.
The four defendants sentenced at District Court today earlier admitted having conspired with various persons to defraud officers of the Hong Kong Police Force by prejudicing them in the exercise of their public duties and various insurance companies, by d ishonestly:
- deliberately damaging certain motor vehicles;
- falsely making reports to the Hong Kong Police Force that there were accidents involving those motor vehicles;
- falsely making insurance claims for damages sustained by those vehicles; and
- falsely causing various insurance companies to pay compensation.
The court heard that the defendants had falsely made a number of reports to the Police that there were traffic accidents occurring at Castle Peak Road, Kwok Shui Road, Sam Tung Uk, Wo Yi Hop Road, and Chai Wan Kok Street.
As a result, the insurance companies released a total of $624,190 in compensation to Tune Up.
The offences took place between November 1996 and July 1998.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Derek Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Kevin Choi.