Three months' jail for woman making false graft reports and impersonating ICAC officer
2003-6-13
A woman was today (Friday) sentenced to three months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for fabricating corruption allegations against an acquaintance after their friendship turned sour, and impersonating an ICAC officer to "investigate" into the "allega tions" she made up.
Poon Wai-man, 31, earlier pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mr David Dufton to two counts of knowingly misleading an ICAC officer by giving false information, and one of falsely pretending to be an ICAC officer.
The court heard that in August 2002, the defendant got acquainted with a nurse of the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) while being hospitalized.
Their friendship lasted until February 2003, when the nurse began to avoid all forms of contact with the defendant by changing her telephone numbers.
On March 17, 2003, the defendant made a false report to the ICAC Report Centre, alleging that the nurse had accepted a "lai see" packet from a patient of QMH for providing favourable treatment to the patient.
Two days later, the defendant made another report to the ICAC, falsely alleging that another patient had paid the nurse $1,000 for favourable treatment.
The court also heard that on March 22, 2003, the defendant made telephone calls to QMH, falsely claiming herself to be an ICAC officer and seeking to interview the nurse in connection with an ICAC "investigation".
An ICAC spokesman warned that making malicious reports to the ICAC and impersonating ICAC officers were very serious offences and would be liable to prosecution.
“However, any person who reports suspected corruption to the ICAC in good faith should not be deterred or fear prosecution even if the allegation may turn out to be untrue,” the spokesman said.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Frankie Yuen.
Poon Wai-man, 31, earlier pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mr David Dufton to two counts of knowingly misleading an ICAC officer by giving false information, and one of falsely pretending to be an ICAC officer.
The court heard that in August 2002, the defendant got acquainted with a nurse of the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) while being hospitalized.
Their friendship lasted until February 2003, when the nurse began to avoid all forms of contact with the defendant by changing her telephone numbers.
On March 17, 2003, the defendant made a false report to the ICAC Report Centre, alleging that the nurse had accepted a "lai see" packet from a patient of QMH for providing favourable treatment to the patient.
Two days later, the defendant made another report to the ICAC, falsely alleging that another patient had paid the nurse $1,000 for favourable treatment.
The court also heard that on March 22, 2003, the defendant made telephone calls to QMH, falsely claiming herself to be an ICAC officer and seeking to interview the nurse in connection with an ICAC "investigation".
An ICAC spokesman warned that making malicious reports to the ICAC and impersonating ICAC officers were very serious offences and would be liable to prosecution.
“However, any person who reports suspected corruption to the ICAC in good faith should not be deterred or fear prosecution even if the allegation may turn out to be untrue,” the spokesman said.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Frankie Yuen.