Businessman gets 7 months for bogus death claim
2004-11-29
A businessman was today (Monday) sentenced to seven months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for conspiring to deceive $700,000 from an insurance company by making a bogus death claim in relation to a Mainland woman with whom he was entirely unrelated.
Wong Yiu-tong, 53, earlier pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mr Eddie Yip to one count of conspiracy to defraud, and one of attempting to procure the making of an entry in a record of a bank by deception.
The case arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that the defendant might have offered advantages to an insurance agent for facilitating a death claim. ICAC enquiries uncovered the fraudulent plot.
The court heard that on July 15, 2002, the defendant took out a life/medical insurance policy with MassMutual Asia Limited (MassMutual) in the name of Wong Oi-lin, a resident of Qingxin County, Guangdong Province, at an insured sum of $700,000.
In the application form, the defendant falsely claimed that he was Wong Oi-lin's elder brother and the sole beneficiary of the policy, and further alleged that Wong Oi-lin was struck by thunderbolt and died in Gaozhou City in China on August 19, 2002.
To support his claim, the defendant submitted to MassMutual a number of bogus documents obtained by co-conspirators Tang Lam-piu and Cheng Hon-chung.
The bogus documents included a death certificate issued by a hospital in Gaozhou City, two certificates issued by Qingxin County's public security bureau affirming the cancellation of residency registration of Wong Oi-lin and the defendant's relationship with Wong Oi-lin, and a certificate issued by a funeral parlour purported to show the cremation of Wong Oi-lin.
ICAC investigation revealed that Wong Oi-lin was neither related to the defendant nor acquainted with him, and that she knew nothing about the insurance policy.
The court also heard that the observatory of Gaozhou City confirmed that no lightning or thunderstorm was recorded on August 19, 2002.
The Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate had rendered assistance to the ICAC in its investigation of the case.
Tang, 51, a businessman, and Cheng, 47, a former insurance agent, who were also charged with a similar offence of conspiracy to defraud, each received a 15-month jail term after being convicted after trial.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Maggie Yang, assisted by ICAC officer Kate Cheuk.
Wong Yiu-tong, 53, earlier pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mr Eddie Yip to one count of conspiracy to defraud, and one of attempting to procure the making of an entry in a record of a bank by deception.
The case arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that the defendant might have offered advantages to an insurance agent for facilitating a death claim. ICAC enquiries uncovered the fraudulent plot.
The court heard that on July 15, 2002, the defendant took out a life/medical insurance policy with MassMutual Asia Limited (MassMutual) in the name of Wong Oi-lin, a resident of Qingxin County, Guangdong Province, at an insured sum of $700,000.
In the application form, the defendant falsely claimed that he was Wong Oi-lin's elder brother and the sole beneficiary of the policy, and further alleged that Wong Oi-lin was struck by thunderbolt and died in Gaozhou City in China on August 19, 2002.
To support his claim, the defendant submitted to MassMutual a number of bogus documents obtained by co-conspirators Tang Lam-piu and Cheng Hon-chung.
The bogus documents included a death certificate issued by a hospital in Gaozhou City, two certificates issued by Qingxin County's public security bureau affirming the cancellation of residency registration of Wong Oi-lin and the defendant's relationship with Wong Oi-lin, and a certificate issued by a funeral parlour purported to show the cremation of Wong Oi-lin.
ICAC investigation revealed that Wong Oi-lin was neither related to the defendant nor acquainted with him, and that she knew nothing about the insurance policy.
The court also heard that the observatory of Gaozhou City confirmed that no lightning or thunderstorm was recorded on August 19, 2002.
The Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate had rendered assistance to the ICAC in its investigation of the case.
Tang, 51, a businessman, and Cheng, 47, a former insurance agent, who were also charged with a similar offence of conspiracy to defraud, each received a 15-month jail term after being convicted after trial.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Government Counsel Maggie Yang, assisted by ICAC officer Kate Cheuk.