A businessman was today (Friday) sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for attempting to influence a corruption trial and extort money from the accused in that trial for not testifying against the latter in court.

Ting Wai-ming, 29, charged by the ICAC, was earlier found guilty on one count of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice between October 23 and October 30, 2002.

The charge stated that Ting had offered to absent himself from a trial which was due to commence on November 27, 2002 in Eastern Magistracy in return for payment of money by the accused in the said trial, with intent to pervert the course of public justic e.

Ting was also convicted on one count of blackmail by making an unwarranted demand of $10,000 from the accused in the said trial with menaces on October 30, 2002.

The court heard that between October 23 and October 29, 2002, Ting had, on two occasions, approached the accused in a corruption trial in which he himself was a prosecution witness.

On October 30, 2002, Ting demanded $10,000 from the accused, and threatened to testify against the latter in court if he failed to give him the money.

Ting asked the accused to pay him $5,000 first, and assured him that after receiving the balance of the payment, he would go to the Mainland and would not be present at the trial.

During a monitored meeting on the same day, Ting collected $5,000 marked money from the accused at a fast-food restaurant in North Point.

Ting was arrested by ICAC officers after taking the money. The marked money was recovered from him.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Simon Tam, assisted by ICAC officer May Lam.