Police Detective Sergeant jailed for accepting and soliciting bribes
2007-6-1
A Police Detective Sergeant, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment at District Court for accepting and soliciting bribes totalling $80,000 in cash, and hostess escort services from an operator of a pornographic disc shop for offering him protection and information on police raids.
Leung Chee-kong, 47, was earlier found guilty of five counts of public servant accepting an advantage and one of public servant soliciting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Rickie Chan Kam-cheong said he had no choice but to impose a deterrent sentence on the defendant, in view of the seriousness of the bribery offences.
The judge said the defendant, as a police officer, was obligated to maintain law and order and bring the criminals to justice. However, his acts in the present case had brought the Police into disrepute, and impaired the confidence of the public in the f orce.
Delivering his verdict earlier, the judge said he found the defendant's evidence unacceptable and ridiculous.
The investigation arose from a referral from the Police, which rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its inquiries.
The court heard that in November 2004, the defendant was posted to the Mong Kok Police Station, and came to know an operator of a shop selling indecent and obscene DVDs.
Having been disturbed by some triad members, the operator ceased his business. In April 2005, he opened another pornographic disc shop in a commercial arcade in Mong Kok, and informed the defendant of his resumption of business.
On a number of occasions, the defendant had told the operator that he was in financial hardship and asked to borrow money from the operator.
The court heard that between April and June 2005, the defendant accepted two sums of $30,000 and $10,000 respectively from the operator as rewards for protecting his business from disturbance of triad members.
On several other occasions, the defendant respectively accepted $20,000 and hostess escort services, and solicited another $20,000 from the operator for providing him with information on police raids.
The court heard that during the period, the Police had conducted at least 30 raids at the above commercial arcade in Mong Kok.
Twenty-seven of the raids were conducted by the defendant's squad, resulting in no seizures from the operator's shop.
The remaining three operations conducted by other squads had secured seizures of over 13,000 indecent and obscene discs from the shop.
On June 22, 2005, the defendant and the operator were arrested by ICAC officers on board a taxi during a journey to a ferry terminal, the court was told.
ICAC officers subsequently seized about 6,000 pornographic discs from the operator's shop. Amongst them, over 200 were classified as indecent or obscene.
Arising from the same investigation, two keepers of the shop were earlier charged and convicted. They were given custodial sentences.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Henry Ma, assisted by ICAC officer Kate Cheuk.
Leung Chee-kong, 47, was earlier found guilty of five counts of public servant accepting an advantage and one of public servant soliciting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Rickie Chan Kam-cheong said he had no choice but to impose a deterrent sentence on the defendant, in view of the seriousness of the bribery offences.
The judge said the defendant, as a police officer, was obligated to maintain law and order and bring the criminals to justice. However, his acts in the present case had brought the Police into disrepute, and impaired the confidence of the public in the f orce.
Delivering his verdict earlier, the judge said he found the defendant's evidence unacceptable and ridiculous.
The investigation arose from a referral from the Police, which rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its inquiries.
The court heard that in November 2004, the defendant was posted to the Mong Kok Police Station, and came to know an operator of a shop selling indecent and obscene DVDs.
Having been disturbed by some triad members, the operator ceased his business. In April 2005, he opened another pornographic disc shop in a commercial arcade in Mong Kok, and informed the defendant of his resumption of business.
On a number of occasions, the defendant had told the operator that he was in financial hardship and asked to borrow money from the operator.
The court heard that between April and June 2005, the defendant accepted two sums of $30,000 and $10,000 respectively from the operator as rewards for protecting his business from disturbance of triad members.
On several other occasions, the defendant respectively accepted $20,000 and hostess escort services, and solicited another $20,000 from the operator for providing him with information on police raids.
The court heard that during the period, the Police had conducted at least 30 raids at the above commercial arcade in Mong Kok.
Twenty-seven of the raids were conducted by the defendant's squad, resulting in no seizures from the operator's shop.
The remaining three operations conducted by other squads had secured seizures of over 13,000 indecent and obscene discs from the shop.
On June 22, 2005, the defendant and the operator were arrested by ICAC officers on board a taxi during a journey to a ferry terminal, the court was told.
ICAC officers subsequently seized about 6,000 pornographic discs from the operator's shop. Amongst them, over 200 were classified as indecent or obscene.
Arising from the same investigation, two keepers of the shop were earlier charged and convicted. They were given custodial sentences.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Henry Ma, assisted by ICAC officer Kate Cheuk.