Programme Officer jailed for defrauding RTHK as one more charged with misconduct in public office
2002-7-11
A Programme Officer of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment at District Court today (Thursday) for deceiving RTHK more than $248,000 over the implementation of a computerized music system.
In a separate development, Chief Programme Officer of RTHK, Richard Tsang Yip-fat, was today charged with two counts of misconduct in public office in relation to staff's salary increments.
In the first case, George Mak Che-kin, 37, Programme Officer of RTHK, today pleaded guilty to 11 offences of false accounting, fraud and obtaining property by deception before Judge Maggie Poon.
In sentencing, the judge also took into consideration 13 similar charges.
The judge reprimanded the defendant for abusing the trust the government had placed in him.
Mak pleaded guilty to five charges of dishonestly falsifying RTHK records used for processing payment of fees to artists and casual contributors engaged by RTHK.
He was said to have made false entries into these records to purportedly show that various persons had rendered services to RTHK and were entitled to be paid salaries.
Mak also admitted five counts of fraud which accused him of falsely representing to RTHK that a number of persons had rendered services to RTHK, causing RTHK to make payments to such persons.
Mak also pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining money from a freelance typist by deception.
The above offences took place between March 1999 and December 2000.
The ICAC commenced an investigation after receiving a corruption complaint in relation to the awarding of freelance jobs at RTHK.
RTHK offered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The computerized music system concerned, known as "PowerGold", involved data entry of biographical information of famous musicians and composers into Radio 4's computer system.
The defendant was responsible for the recruitment, supervision and payroll processing of freelance workers employed for the project.
The court heard that during the above period, the defendant had deliberately inflated the wages paid to some freelance workers by falsifying the number of hours they had worked.
After these freelance workers received payments from the Treasury, they were approached by the defendant, who asked them to return the excessive amount on the pretext that the money would be diverted for making payments to those freelancers not registered with RTHK.
The court heard that the defendant had deceived RTHK a total of $248,835 by such fraudulent means, making use of the bank accounts of 13 of the 60 freelance workers under his supervision.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ian McWalters, assisted by ICAC officer Andrew Lo.
In the second case, Chief Programme Officer Richard Tsang Yip-fat will appear at Kowloon City Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) on two charges of misconduct in public office under the Common Law.
The alleged offences, which took place between March 1999 and December 2000, were unearthed during the course of investigation into Mak Che-kin’s case.
Tsang, 50, was alleged to have wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself in the course of or in relation to his public office by:
- approving a salary increase for two RTHK employees without complying with the required procedures for processing such an increase;
- instructing his subordinates to arrange for the salary increases to be falsely processed as a payment to freelance workers in the name of the two employees' relatives; and
- causing payments to be made to the said relatives by signing the relevant forms used by RTHK for payments of freelance workers.
Tsang is currently on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance tomorrow.
In a separate development, Chief Programme Officer of RTHK, Richard Tsang Yip-fat, was today charged with two counts of misconduct in public office in relation to staff's salary increments.
In the first case, George Mak Che-kin, 37, Programme Officer of RTHK, today pleaded guilty to 11 offences of false accounting, fraud and obtaining property by deception before Judge Maggie Poon.
In sentencing, the judge also took into consideration 13 similar charges.
The judge reprimanded the defendant for abusing the trust the government had placed in him.
Mak pleaded guilty to five charges of dishonestly falsifying RTHK records used for processing payment of fees to artists and casual contributors engaged by RTHK.
He was said to have made false entries into these records to purportedly show that various persons had rendered services to RTHK and were entitled to be paid salaries.
Mak also admitted five counts of fraud which accused him of falsely representing to RTHK that a number of persons had rendered services to RTHK, causing RTHK to make payments to such persons.
Mak also pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining money from a freelance typist by deception.
The above offences took place between March 1999 and December 2000.
The ICAC commenced an investigation after receiving a corruption complaint in relation to the awarding of freelance jobs at RTHK.
RTHK offered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The computerized music system concerned, known as "PowerGold", involved data entry of biographical information of famous musicians and composers into Radio 4's computer system.
The defendant was responsible for the recruitment, supervision and payroll processing of freelance workers employed for the project.
The court heard that during the above period, the defendant had deliberately inflated the wages paid to some freelance workers by falsifying the number of hours they had worked.
After these freelance workers received payments from the Treasury, they were approached by the defendant, who asked them to return the excessive amount on the pretext that the money would be diverted for making payments to those freelancers not registered with RTHK.
The court heard that the defendant had deceived RTHK a total of $248,835 by such fraudulent means, making use of the bank accounts of 13 of the 60 freelance workers under his supervision.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ian McWalters, assisted by ICAC officer Andrew Lo.
In the second case, Chief Programme Officer Richard Tsang Yip-fat will appear at Kowloon City Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) on two charges of misconduct in public office under the Common Law.
The alleged offences, which took place between March 1999 and December 2000, were unearthed during the course of investigation into Mak Che-kin’s case.
Tsang, 50, was alleged to have wilfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself in the course of or in relation to his public office by:
- approving a salary increase for two RTHK employees without complying with the required procedures for processing such an increase;
- instructing his subordinates to arrange for the salary increases to be falsely processed as a payment to freelance workers in the name of the two employees' relatives; and
- causing payments to be made to the said relatives by signing the relevant forms used by RTHK for payments of freelance workers.
Tsang is currently on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance tomorrow.