A woman, charged by the ICAC, was today (Monday) sent to jail for bribing an officer of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) for introducing cigarettes into a prison while she was serving her time.

Maria Nene Capunihan GALVEZ, 32, received a jail sentence of eight months, while her boyfriend, Reinhard WOEGERER, 43, also charged by the ICAC for his role, was jailed for six months.

GALVEZ and WOEGERER today pleaded guilty before Eastern Magistrate Mr Timothy Casewell to one joint charge of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

The prosecution offered no evidence to three other similar bribery charges against GALVEZ.

The case arose from a referral from CSD.

The court heard that at the time of the offence, GALVEZ was a prisoner at Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution.

GALVEZ approached an Assistant Officer II of CSD and offered the latter a bribe payment for supplying cigarettes to her.

The CSD officer reported the matter to her senior officer, and the case was referred to the ICAC for enquiries.

On November 13 last year, WOEGERER met the CSD officer at a restaurant in Causeway Bay.

At the meeting, WOEGERER gave an envelope containing five $500 banknotes, totalling $2,500, to the CSD officer and asked the latter to buy some cigarettes and bring them to GALVEZ at the institution.

WOEGERER also told the CSD officer to keep some of the money as her reward.

WOEGERER was then arrested by ICAC officers at the scene.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Jonathan Man, assisted by ICAC officer Yvonne Chan.