Ex-hospital foreman jailed for accepting wine and cigarettes from subordinates and stealing medicines
2004-10-25
A former foreman of a hospital, charged by the ICAC, was today (Monday) sentenced to four months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for accepting a bottle of red wine and 36 packets of duty-free cigarettes from his subordinates seeking favourable treatme nt at work.
Chu Wing-keung, 56, former foreman of Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) employed by the Hospital Authority, was also jailed for four months for stealing medicines from the hospital.
Magistrate Mr Ian Candy ordered that one month out of the four-month jail term for the theft offence was to run consecutively to the sentence for the bribery charges, making Chu's jail terms five months in total.
In imposing the jail terms, the magistrate said the bribery was a serious offence, while the theft constituted a breach of trust.
Chu had earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. He also admitted one count of theft.
The court heard that while employed by the Hospital Authority as a foreman of QMH, Chu was responsible for assigning duties to his subordinates, preparing duty rosters, and approving leave applications of those subordinates.
Between January 2000 and December last year, Chu had, on a number of occasions, accepted from some of his subordinates a bottle of red wine, and a total of 36 packets of cigarettes which they had bought duty-free when returning from trips to the Mainland.
The advantages were offered to Chu for him to remain favourably disposed to the subordinates, the court heard.
The court also heard that between December last year and January this year, Chu had, on various occasions, stolen tablets of paracetamol and antihistamines from QMH, when he was supervising his subordinates at the hospital's accidents and emergency ward.
Chu put the stolen tablets into two bottles, and brought them out of QMH. The two bottles of tablets were subsequently recovered from his residence.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Eva Wong.
Chu Wing-keung, 56, former foreman of Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) employed by the Hospital Authority, was also jailed for four months for stealing medicines from the hospital.
Magistrate Mr Ian Candy ordered that one month out of the four-month jail term for the theft offence was to run consecutively to the sentence for the bribery charges, making Chu's jail terms five months in total.
In imposing the jail terms, the magistrate said the bribery was a serious offence, while the theft constituted a breach of trust.
Chu had earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. He also admitted one count of theft.
The court heard that while employed by the Hospital Authority as a foreman of QMH, Chu was responsible for assigning duties to his subordinates, preparing duty rosters, and approving leave applications of those subordinates.
Between January 2000 and December last year, Chu had, on a number of occasions, accepted from some of his subordinates a bottle of red wine, and a total of 36 packets of cigarettes which they had bought duty-free when returning from trips to the Mainland.
The advantages were offered to Chu for him to remain favourably disposed to the subordinates, the court heard.
The court also heard that between December last year and January this year, Chu had, on various occasions, stolen tablets of paracetamol and antihistamines from QMH, when he was supervising his subordinates at the hospital's accidents and emergency ward.
Chu put the stolen tablets into two bottles, and brought them out of QMH. The two bottles of tablets were subsequently recovered from his residence.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Eva Wong.