An unemployed woman was today (Wednesday) sentenced at Eastern Magistracy for making a false report and misleading the ICAC by fabricating a story that an ICAC officer had taken away $239,000 in cash from her.

Mak Kwok-yee, 27, was ordered by Acting Principal Magistrate Amanda Jane Woodcock to perform 120 hours of community service and pay a fine of $10,000.

In sentencing, the magistrate reprimanded the defendant for wasting valuable resources of the ICAC.

The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to one count of making a false report to the ICAC and two of knowingly misleading ICAC officers, contrary to Section 13B(a) and Section 13B(b) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Ordinance respectively.

The court heard that on the late evening of October 16 last year, the defendant called the Report Centre of the ICAC.

The defendant told an ICAC officer that she had been intercepted by three men on a street in Sheung Wan earlier on that evening, and that one of the men, surnamed Chan who purported to be an ICAC officer, had taken away from her an envelope containing $23 9,000 in cash.

The court heard that on the following day, the defendant was interviewed by two ICAC officers. She gave a statement in relation to her above encounter.

On October 20, the defendant also gave another statement to two ICAC officers, describing the route she took on October 16 and how she was intercepted by Chan.

When interviewed under caution on April 29 this year, the defendant admitted that her report to the ICAC on October 16 last year was false.

She also admitted that the two statements she gave to the ICAC on October 17 and October 20 contained false information, the court was told.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Kenny Tse.