Kwun Tong District Councillor gets 18 months for false claims of DC funds
2005-3-16
A member of the Kwun Tong District Council (KTDC) was today (Wednesday) sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment at District Court for making false claims of Councillor Assistants' wages totalling $114,000 from KTDC.
Ng Chung-tak, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to defraud, and one of incitement to conspire to defraud.
The court ordered two other similar charges of conspiracy to defraud against Ng be left on court file.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Li Wai-chi reprimanded the defendant for his greediness, and for breaching the trust his voters had placed in him.
The judge said a clean society like Hong Kong would not tolerate those who served with dishonest intent.
The judge added that a custodial sentence must be imposed to serve as a deterrent, in view of the serious nature of the offences.
The case arose from a complaint, alleging that a KTDC member might have corruptly obtained reimbursement for wages of his assistants from KTDC with false payment slips. Subsequent inquiries revealed the conspiracy offences.
The court heard that between December 2000 and January 2002, Ng employed two persons as his assistants.
In seeking reimbursement for the wages paid to the two assistants, Ng had falsely represented to KTDC that the latter were each employed at $7,000 per month, while they were in fact paid $3,000 to $6,000 each month.
The assistants were asked to sign payment slips each month, acknowledging receipt of $7,000 as their wages.
In May 2002, Ng incited another person to participate in a similar scam, but was refused.
The court also heard that between August 2002 and September 2003, the defendant had, on various occasions, requested another acquaintance to acknowledge receipt of $3,800 per month, purporting to be the wages he received as his assistant. The defendant t hen sought reimbursement from KTDC.
The defendant had in fact, used the reimbursed amount to repay a loan he obtained from the acquaintance for purchasing an organ which his son used in a performance. The acquaintance had never performed any work in relation to Ng’s public office.
Through the above fraudulent means, Ng had obtained a total of $114,000 from KTDC, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hay-yiu, counsel on fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Ronald Kwan.
Ng Chung-tak, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to defraud, and one of incitement to conspire to defraud.
The court ordered two other similar charges of conspiracy to defraud against Ng be left on court file.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Li Wai-chi reprimanded the defendant for his greediness, and for breaching the trust his voters had placed in him.
The judge said a clean society like Hong Kong would not tolerate those who served with dishonest intent.
The judge added that a custodial sentence must be imposed to serve as a deterrent, in view of the serious nature of the offences.
The case arose from a complaint, alleging that a KTDC member might have corruptly obtained reimbursement for wages of his assistants from KTDC with false payment slips. Subsequent inquiries revealed the conspiracy offences.
The court heard that between December 2000 and January 2002, Ng employed two persons as his assistants.
In seeking reimbursement for the wages paid to the two assistants, Ng had falsely represented to KTDC that the latter were each employed at $7,000 per month, while they were in fact paid $3,000 to $6,000 each month.
The assistants were asked to sign payment slips each month, acknowledging receipt of $7,000 as their wages.
In May 2002, Ng incited another person to participate in a similar scam, but was refused.
The court also heard that between August 2002 and September 2003, the defendant had, on various occasions, requested another acquaintance to acknowledge receipt of $3,800 per month, purporting to be the wages he received as his assistant. The defendant t hen sought reimbursement from KTDC.
The defendant had in fact, used the reimbursed amount to repay a loan he obtained from the acquaintance for purchasing an organ which his son used in a performance. The acquaintance had never performed any work in relation to Ng’s public office.
Through the above fraudulent means, Ng had obtained a total of $114,000 from KTDC, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Wong Hay-yiu, counsel on fiat, assisted by ICAC officer Ronald Kwan.