A member of the Shatin District Council (DC), charged by the ICAC, was today (Monday) sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at Shatin Magistracy for making false claims of $14,000 expenses for the salary of his office assistant.

Stephen Fong Chun-bong, 36, was also ordered to pay a restitution of $14,000 to the government.

Fong was earlier found guilty of two counts of fraud.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Timothy Casewell said a custodial sentence was appropriate for the defendant as his offences constituted a breach of trust.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC Inquiries revealed the fraudulent claims.

The court heard that the defendant was elected as a member of the Shatin DC in November 2003.

The defendant was entitled to apply for reimbursement of operating expenses from the Secretariat of Shatin DC to cover the expenses for the employment of councillor assistants to discharge his duties as a district councillor.

The court heard that at the time of the offences, the defendant falsely represented in two Operating Expenses Allowance Reimbursement Forms that he had paid his assistant $7,000 respectively for the months of April and May 2006.

The defendant, with intent to defraud, had induced the Secretariat of Shatin DC to reimburse him the said sums.

ICAC inquiries revealed that the defendant in fact had not paid his office assistant the said salary as claimed, the court was told.

The prosecution was today represented by Government Counsel Michael Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Andrew Lo.