Buildings Department senior engineer sentenced for $2.2m housing allowance fraud
2004-5-22
A Senior Structural Engineer of the Buildings Department, charged by the ICAC, was toady (Saturday) sentenced at District Court for using false documents to deceive Private Tenancy Allowance (PTA) totalling over $2,200,000 from the government.
Pao Wai-hong, 51, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Pau was earlier found guilty on seven counts of an agent using a false document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO).
The court heard that between 1991 and 1997, Pao had, on seven occasions, submitted applications for PTA which contained a false, erroneous or defective statement, with intent to deceive the Hong Kong Government.
Pau had falsely stated in these applications that he was eligible to claim and receive PTA in respect of a leased property at Whampoa Garden, Hunghom.
The court heard that the property was in fact owned by a shelf company controlled by the defendant.
As a result of the false representations, Pau had fraudulently obtained PTA totalling over $2,213,000 from the government.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Simon Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Shirley Lau.
Pao Wai-hong, 51, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Pau was earlier found guilty on seven counts of an agent using a false document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO).
The court heard that between 1991 and 1997, Pao had, on seven occasions, submitted applications for PTA which contained a false, erroneous or defective statement, with intent to deceive the Hong Kong Government.
Pau had falsely stated in these applications that he was eligible to claim and receive PTA in respect of a leased property at Whampoa Garden, Hunghom.
The court heard that the property was in fact owned by a shelf company controlled by the defendant.
As a result of the false representations, Pau had fraudulently obtained PTA totalling over $2,213,000 from the government.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Simon Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Shirley Lau.