Ex-Tsuen Wan District Councillor sentenced for fraud over false claims of DC funds
2008-4-7
A former member of the Tsuen Wan District Council (TWDC), charged by the ICAC, was today (Monday) sentenced at Tsuen Wan Magistracy for making false claims for his councillor assistant’s salaries totalling $93,000 from TWDC.
Wu Ki-fook, 69, was sentenced by Magistrate Mr Andrew Ma to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the fraudulent claims.
The court heard that the defendant was a District Councillor of TWDC between January 1, 2000 and September 30, 2003. He was eligible to claim reimbursement of expenses incurred by employing councillor assistants for running his ward office.
According to guidelines issued by the Home Affairs Department, a District Councillor is not allowed to apply for reimbursement for employing his relatives as councillor assistants.
The court heard that between July 2002 and September 2003, the defendant employed his daughter-in-law as his councillor assistant at a monthly salary of $6,000 and a year-end bonus of $3,000.
The defendant had falsely represented in the Operating Expenses Allowance Reimbursement Forms submitted to TWDC Secretariat that the councillor assistant he employed was not his relative.
As a result of the false representation, TWDC Secretariat was induced into approving 15 reimbursement applications submitted by the defendant, and issuing to him allowances totalling $93,000, being the salaries paid to his daughter-in-law.
Had TWDC Secretariat known that the councillor assistant was a relative of the defendant, it would not have approved the applications.
The case was represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Yuen, assisted by ICAC officer Ng Hon-hei.
Wu Ki-fook, 69, was sentenced by Magistrate Mr Andrew Ma to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the fraudulent claims.
The court heard that the defendant was a District Councillor of TWDC between January 1, 2000 and September 30, 2003. He was eligible to claim reimbursement of expenses incurred by employing councillor assistants for running his ward office.
According to guidelines issued by the Home Affairs Department, a District Councillor is not allowed to apply for reimbursement for employing his relatives as councillor assistants.
The court heard that between July 2002 and September 2003, the defendant employed his daughter-in-law as his councillor assistant at a monthly salary of $6,000 and a year-end bonus of $3,000.
The defendant had falsely represented in the Operating Expenses Allowance Reimbursement Forms submitted to TWDC Secretariat that the councillor assistant he employed was not his relative.
As a result of the false representation, TWDC Secretariat was induced into approving 15 reimbursement applications submitted by the defendant, and issuing to him allowances totalling $93,000, being the salaries paid to his daughter-in-law.
Had TWDC Secretariat known that the councillor assistant was a relative of the defendant, it would not have approved the applications.
The case was represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Yuen, assisted by ICAC officer Ng Hon-hei.