A former dim sum chef of a Chinese restaurant, charged by the ICAC, was today (Tuesday) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for deceiving wages by punching the time card of a kitchen staff who no longer worked at the restaurant.

Chan Ka-wai, 41, former head of the dim sum section of King of the King Chinese Restaurant, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of fraud.

In sentencing, Magistrate Ms Bina Chainrai said a custodial sentence was imposed on the defendant in view of the seriousness of the offence.

The case originated from a corruption report. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above fraud offence.

The court heard that a staff of the restaurant’s dim sum section resigned on August 17, 2008.

On his last day of duty on August 24, the defendant suggested that he would punch the time card and sign the attendance sheets for him between August 25 and 31, purporting to show that he was on duty.

The defendant also asked the staff to return to him the wages for those seven days. The staff acceded to the defendant’s request.

Believing that the information contained in the attendance records was genuine, the restaurant issued a cheque for about $13,000 to the staff who resigned as his salary for the whole month of August.

On September 11, 2008, the staff called the defendant and the pair agreed to meet at a fast food restaurant. At the meeting, the defendant demanded the staff to pay him $2,400 being wages for six days.

On the same day, the staff gave the defendant $2,400 “bait money”. After receiving the money, the defendant was arrested by ICAC officers at the scene. The $2,400 “bait money” was recovered from the defendant’s wallet, the court was told.

During the course of investigation, the management of the restaurant provided full assistance to the ICAC.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer William Lam.