A former employee of Hong Kong Disneyland (Disneyland), charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to 16 weeks’ imprisonment at Tsuen Wan Magistracy for accepting advantages for admitting various persons into the theme park by abusing his staff privilege.

Lai Yeuk-tang, 47, former cleansing worker of Hong Kong Disneyland, today pleaded guilty to two counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Lambert Lee said the bribery offences were serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence.

The court heard that at the time of the offences, the defendant, as an employee of Disneyland, enjoyed the privilege of admitting friends and/or relatives into the theme park free of charge for at most 18 times a year and at most three persons per day.

Under the policy of Disneyland, employees are not allowed to sell the privilege for personal gains.

The court heard that in January 2007, an ICAC officer came to know the defendant through another cleansing worker of Disneyland.

The defendant told the officer that he was able to admit six persons in one go into Disneyland and solicited a fee of $150 per person.

The officer agreed to visit the theme park on January 17.

On that day, the defendant accepted a total of $900 from the officer, and sought assistance from another cleansing worker to admit the officer and five other persons.

On February 3, 2007, the defendant accepted a total of $1,800 from the officer for admitting another 12 persons into the theme park, with the assistance of three of his colleagues, the court was told.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Andrew Cheung.