Man gets two months for committing voting offence at VR election
2008-11-7
A registered voter of the 2007 Village Representative (VR) Election, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Shatin Magistracy for committing a voting offence in the VR election for Wo Liu Hang in Shatin.
Lai Man-chun, 45, a machine operator, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of corrupt conduct with respect to voting at an election, contrary to Section 16(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Timothy Jenkins said a custodial sentence was appropriate for the defendant in view of the seriousness of the offence.
The court heard that the defendant had moved out from Wo Liu Hang since 1998.
On March 17, 2003, the defendant submitted to the Home Affairs Department (HAD) an application for voter registration, in which he claimed that he had been a resident of Wo Liu Hang for the three years immediately before applying to be registered as an el ector.
In 2006, the HAD published a final register of electors for the election, showing that the defendant was an eligible elector.
The HAD, however, had not received any amendments in respect of the defendant’s particulars, including his residential address.
On the polling day on January 14, 2007, HAD staff reminded electors that if anyone of them had moved out from the village, he or she would be disqualified to vote, and that it would be an offence if the elector voted in the election.
The defendant had voted at the election knowing that he was not entitled to do so, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Margaret Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Lilian Chow.
Lai Man-chun, 45, a machine operator, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of corrupt conduct with respect to voting at an election, contrary to Section 16(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Timothy Jenkins said a custodial sentence was appropriate for the defendant in view of the seriousness of the offence.
The court heard that the defendant had moved out from Wo Liu Hang since 1998.
On March 17, 2003, the defendant submitted to the Home Affairs Department (HAD) an application for voter registration, in which he claimed that he had been a resident of Wo Liu Hang for the three years immediately before applying to be registered as an el ector.
In 2006, the HAD published a final register of electors for the election, showing that the defendant was an eligible elector.
The HAD, however, had not received any amendments in respect of the defendant’s particulars, including his residential address.
On the polling day on January 14, 2007, HAD staff reminded electors that if anyone of them had moved out from the village, he or she would be disqualified to vote, and that it would be an offence if the elector voted in the election.
The defendant had voted at the election knowing that he was not entitled to do so, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Margaret Lau, assisted by ICAC officer Lilian Chow.