Magistrate sends mortuary worker to jail after review of sentence
2009-3-6
A magistrate today (Friday) sentenced a mortuary worker of the Department of Health to four months’ imprisonment at Shatin Magistracy after reviewing the original penalty meted out to the defendant for his corruption offences.
Cheung Chi-hung, 59, Workman I of the Department of Health, was earlier charged by the ICAC with three counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges, and was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service by Magistrate Mr Li Wai-chi on January 22, 2009. The prosecution then sought a review of the defendant’s sentence.
In allowing the prosecution’s application, the magistrate accepted the submission that no exceptional circumstances were involved in the case warranting a community service order.
The magistrate also accepted that it was serious for the defendant to accept bribes for releasing internal information to a funeral parlour operator to facilitate his business, and that the seriousness of the offences must carry a custodial sentence to se rve as a deterrent.
The court heard that in April 2006, the defendant was acting up as a Mortuary Attendant at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary, responsible for receiving information from police officers about dead bodies delivered to the mortuary.
A funeral parlour operator often visited the mortuary to tout business. On three occasions between October 2006 and September 2007, the defendant accepted a total of $300 and a moon-cake coupon from the funeral parlour operator.
In return, the defendant provided the funeral parlour operator with information in relation to dead bodies delivered to the mortuary, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Michael Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Phyllis Wong.
Cheung Chi-hung, 59, Workman I of the Department of Health, was earlier charged by the ICAC with three counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges, and was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service by Magistrate Mr Li Wai-chi on January 22, 2009. The prosecution then sought a review of the defendant’s sentence.
In allowing the prosecution’s application, the magistrate accepted the submission that no exceptional circumstances were involved in the case warranting a community service order.
The magistrate also accepted that it was serious for the defendant to accept bribes for releasing internal information to a funeral parlour operator to facilitate his business, and that the seriousness of the offences must carry a custodial sentence to se rve as a deterrent.
The court heard that in April 2006, the defendant was acting up as a Mortuary Attendant at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary, responsible for receiving information from police officers about dead bodies delivered to the mortuary.
A funeral parlour operator often visited the mortuary to tout business. On three occasions between October 2006 and September 2007, the defendant accepted a total of $300 and a moon-cake coupon from the funeral parlour operator.
In return, the defendant provided the funeral parlour operator with information in relation to dead bodies delivered to the mortuary, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Michael Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Phyllis Wong.