Three Artisans of FEHD guilty of bribery over cremation services
2006-8-24
Three Artisans of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), charged by the ICAC, were today (Thursday) convicted at the District Court of bribery in relation to cremation services at Fu Shan Crematorium.
Liu Weng-kee, 57, Tang Wan-hing, 52, and Leung Ying-ming, 53, were found guilty of a total of three charges of conspiracy for public servants to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Deputy Judge Colin Mackintosh adjourned the case until September 7, 2006 for mitigation and sentence, pending background reports. The defendants were remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The case arose from a complaint referred by FEHD. Subsequent enquiries revealed the bribery offences.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, Liu, Tang and Leung were attached to Fu Shan Crematorium.
Between July 1997 and March 2004, Liu and Leung had conspired together to accept bribe payments from a funeral parlour agent on various occasions.
In return, Liu and Leung ensured that corpses in coffins submitted by the funeral parlour agent to the crematorium would be cremated expeditiously, and that should oversized coffins containing corpses be submitted by him, the cremation would be carried ou t without hindrance.
The court heard that between September 2001 and March 2004, Liu, Tang and Leung had also conspired together to accept bribe payments on various occasions from two other funeral parlour agents for the same reason.
The bribe payments accepted by Liu, Tang and Leung ranged from $80 to $100 on each occasion, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Flora Cheng, assisted by ICAC officer Tommy Lui.
Liu Weng-kee, 57, Tang Wan-hing, 52, and Leung Ying-ming, 53, were found guilty of a total of three charges of conspiracy for public servants to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Deputy Judge Colin Mackintosh adjourned the case until September 7, 2006 for mitigation and sentence, pending background reports. The defendants were remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The case arose from a complaint referred by FEHD. Subsequent enquiries revealed the bribery offences.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, Liu, Tang and Leung were attached to Fu Shan Crematorium.
Between July 1997 and March 2004, Liu and Leung had conspired together to accept bribe payments from a funeral parlour agent on various occasions.
In return, Liu and Leung ensured that corpses in coffins submitted by the funeral parlour agent to the crematorium would be cremated expeditiously, and that should oversized coffins containing corpses be submitted by him, the cremation would be carried ou t without hindrance.
The court heard that between September 2001 and March 2004, Liu, Tang and Leung had also conspired together to accept bribe payments on various occasions from two other funeral parlour agents for the same reason.
The bribe payments accepted by Liu, Tang and Leung ranged from $80 to $100 on each occasion, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Flora Cheng, assisted by ICAC officer Tommy Lui.