Senior Engineer faces court for alleged housing allowance frauds
2005-6-6
A Senior Engineer of the Highways Department, charged by the ICAC, today (Monday) appeared before the Eastern Magistracy for allegedly deceiving Private Tenancy Allowances (PTA) from the Government, and assisting other government officers in cheating hous ing allowances by fraudulent means.
Wong Kei-kwong, 55, faced three counts of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal under Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO), and two of conspiracy to defraud.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Ian Candy adjourned the case to June 24, 2005 for plea at the District Court. Wong was granted bail of $20,000 in cash, and was ordered to inform the ICAC 24 hours prior to leaving Hong Kong.
The three PBO charges alleged Wong of using three PTA applications in relation to a leased property in Castle Peak Road, and which contained false information, between June 1991 and June 1995.
Wong was said to have falsely represented in the applications that he was eligible to claim and receive PTA allowances in respect of the leased property.
ICAC investigation alleged that Wong in fact had a financial interest in the said property and was not eligible to receive PTA allowances in accordance with the Civil Service Regulations.
The remaining two charges alleged Wong of respectively conspiring with a couple and another person, who were also government officers, to defraud the Government between July 1979 and September 1993, by falsely representing that premises at Baguio Villa an d Dragon Terrace were not owned by those persons and thereby deceiving the Government into paying PTA allowances to the latter.
Wong was alleged to have held those properties on behalf of those persons, who were the owners of the premises, to enable the latter to make false PTA claims from the Government.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Edward Cheng.
Wong Kei-kwong, 55, faced three counts of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal under Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (PBO), and two of conspiracy to defraud.
No plea was taken today. Magistrate Mr Ian Candy adjourned the case to June 24, 2005 for plea at the District Court. Wong was granted bail of $20,000 in cash, and was ordered to inform the ICAC 24 hours prior to leaving Hong Kong.
The three PBO charges alleged Wong of using three PTA applications in relation to a leased property in Castle Peak Road, and which contained false information, between June 1991 and June 1995.
Wong was said to have falsely represented in the applications that he was eligible to claim and receive PTA allowances in respect of the leased property.
ICAC investigation alleged that Wong in fact had a financial interest in the said property and was not eligible to receive PTA allowances in accordance with the Civil Service Regulations.
The remaining two charges alleged Wong of respectively conspiring with a couple and another person, who were also government officers, to defraud the Government between July 1979 and September 1993, by falsely representing that premises at Baguio Villa an d Dragon Terrace were not owned by those persons and thereby deceiving the Government into paying PTA allowances to the latter.
Wong was alleged to have held those properties on behalf of those persons, who were the owners of the premises, to enable the latter to make false PTA claims from the Government.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Edward Cheng.