Fifty-two months' jail for policeman using false receipts to interfere with police investigation and stealing warrant card
2005-4-14
A Senior Police Constable, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to four years and four months' imprisonment at District Court for using false receipts to interfere with a Police internal investigation, and stealing his warrant card for sale .
Lau Ka-keung, 39, was found guilty on one count of using copies of false instruments and one of theft.
In sentencing, Judge Chua reprimanded Lau for committing the serious offences due to heavy indebtedness.
Lau was earlier arrested by the ICAC during a corruption inquiry. Subsequent enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that in August 2000, Lau was under internal investigation by the Police in respect of a monetary dispute with a woman.
When interviewed by a Station Sergeant and an Inspector of Police (IP) on different occasions, Lau admitted that he had obtained a sum of money from the woman.
Lau said out of that sum, $750,000 was passed to a Chan Ka-fai for investment in a small house development project in the New Territories.
When the two interviewing officers asked to see Chan, Lau claimed that Chan had fled to the Mainland due to heavy indebtedness.
Lau instructed his former girlfriend to prepare three receipts purportedly issued by Chan, showing that Chan had received three sums of $250,000 each from Lau in relation to the project.
On January 6, 2001, Lau submitted to the IP copies of the three false receipts. The IP accepted them as genuine receipts.
The court also heard that since November 2003, Lau was in financial difficulty.
Through an ICAC informant, Lau met an ICAC undercover officer and indicated that he wanted to sell his police warrant card.
Following a number of telephone calls and meetings, Lau agreed to sell his warrant card to the ICAC undercover officer at $15,000.
On December 8, 2003, Lau sold his warrant card to the ICAC undercover officer inside a shopping arcade in Tsimshatsui.
After obtaining $15,000 marked money from the undercover officer, Lau was arrested by ICAC officers.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Evelyn Tsang, assisted by ICAC officer Phoebe Saesam.
Lau Ka-keung, 39, was found guilty on one count of using copies of false instruments and one of theft.
In sentencing, Judge Chua reprimanded Lau for committing the serious offences due to heavy indebtedness.
Lau was earlier arrested by the ICAC during a corruption inquiry. Subsequent enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that in August 2000, Lau was under internal investigation by the Police in respect of a monetary dispute with a woman.
When interviewed by a Station Sergeant and an Inspector of Police (IP) on different occasions, Lau admitted that he had obtained a sum of money from the woman.
Lau said out of that sum, $750,000 was passed to a Chan Ka-fai for investment in a small house development project in the New Territories.
When the two interviewing officers asked to see Chan, Lau claimed that Chan had fled to the Mainland due to heavy indebtedness.
Lau instructed his former girlfriend to prepare three receipts purportedly issued by Chan, showing that Chan had received three sums of $250,000 each from Lau in relation to the project.
On January 6, 2001, Lau submitted to the IP copies of the three false receipts. The IP accepted them as genuine receipts.
The court also heard that since November 2003, Lau was in financial difficulty.
Through an ICAC informant, Lau met an ICAC undercover officer and indicated that he wanted to sell his police warrant card.
Following a number of telephone calls and meetings, Lau agreed to sell his warrant card to the ICAC undercover officer at $15,000.
On December 8, 2003, Lau sold his warrant card to the ICAC undercover officer inside a shopping arcade in Tsimshatsui.
After obtaining $15,000 marked money from the undercover officer, Lau was arrested by ICAC officers.
The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Evelyn Tsang, assisted by ICAC officer Phoebe Saesam.